A Multicenter Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Interstitial Laser Coagulation Versus alpha-Blockade in Subjects With Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Preliminary Results.
Significant efforts have been made to develop minimally invasive surgical approaches to the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, both to lessen the morbidity of the standard operative procedures and to avoid the need for continued drug therapy throughout the patient's life. Interstitial laser coagulation (ILC) is a minimally invasive procedure that can be performed with local, regional, or general anesthesia. With this operator-dependent procedure, the surgeon can selectively control placement of the laser fiber to achieve the optimum destruction of tissue. Preliminary (6-month) data from a randomized trial comparing alpha-blockade with ILC demonstrate that treatment with ILC is associated with a clinically significant decrease in American Urological Association symptom scores, a result superior to that achieved with an alpha-blocker.
Brawer
Michael K
MK
Northwest Prostate Institute, Northwest Hospital, Seattle, WA.