Could the latest generation potassium titanyl phosphate lasers be the ones to make transurethral resection of the prostate an operation of historical interest only?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We have witnessed an explosion of interest in surgical alternatives to transurethral resection of the prostate over the past decade. These have predominantly involved the delivery of heat to the prostate to cause either coagulation or vaporization. The latest generation laser technique involves the delivery of the potassium titanyl phosphate wavelength at high powers to cause large volumes of prostatic vaporization. This short review assesses the limited present evidence base supporting its use and asks the question of whether it will relegate transurethral resection of the prostate to an operation of historical interest only. RECENT FINDINGS: The 80 W delivery system clearly results in impressive tissue vaporization with minimal bleeding. There is a learning curve to the procedure with operative times varying between 30 and 120 min. The postoperative recovery appears rapid and generally uncomplicated with early catheter removals. The short-term results suggest equivalent efficacy to transurethral resection of the prostate with improved safety; the lack of phase III trials, however, means that the durability of the procedure cannot be assessed at this early stage. SUMMARY: Like many of the surgical alternatives to transurethral resection of the prostate this procedure shows early promise and represents the latest evolutionary development in the laser prostatectomy story. Only randomized comparisons with transurethral resection will tell us if it is a worthy challenger or simply a young pretender to the throne.