The application of diode laser in the treatment of urological patients at University department of Urology, University hospital center Zagreb
Tomislav Kulis, Nikola Knezevic, Marjan Maric, Dinko Hauptman, Iva Bacak Kocman, Zeljko Kastelan
University Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Department of Urology, Zagreb, Croatia
The application of laser in treatment of urological patients is rapidly developing field. In some therapeutic areas lasers have already become part of standard treatment. Diode laser with wavelength of 980 nm provide good haemostatic ability with adequate tissue vaporisation. It has been applied in several urological operations, mostly prostate vaporization. Aim of this study is to present our five years experience in the application of diode laser.
We have used diode laser 980 nm (Evolve HPD, Biolitec AG, Jena, Germany) with end-fire, side-fire or twister fiber, depending on the operation type. In our department laser operations of prostate, urethral stricture, renal tumors, urinary bladder and renal pelvis tumors have been performed. During this period we have performed 55 operations of prostate, 11 operations for urethral strictures, 7 laparoscopic partial nephrectomies, one bladder tumor vaporisation and one renal pelvis tumor vaporization.
Lasers represent useful, minimally invasive method with effective tissue coagulation and haemostasis, in spite of increased operative costs. Further studies with longer follow up are needed to determine adequate place of lasers in urology, however lasers certainly have optimistic future perspective.