For Men with BPH,
Robot-Guided Vaporization of the Prostate
Although it's called "enlargement of the prostate," the problem in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is also an overgrowth of tissue within the prostate, causing urinary symptoms when the tissue begins to constrict the urethra. One popular, minimally invasive treatment is photoselective vaporization of the prostate, or PVP. But "in spite of its widespread use, there are several limitations in assessing the surgical outcomes of PVP," says urologist Misop Han, M.D. For example, "it is unknown how much prostate tissue is destroyed or left behind after PVP. Instead, the surgery is considered complete when we can see a ‘large enough' cavity within the prostate through the cystoscope. This limitation can potentially result in future tissue regrowth and a need for retreatment. It is also difficult to find out where the tissue vaporization occurs in relation to the surrounding structures."
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