Impact of 120-W 2-μm continuous wave laser vapoenucleation of the prostate on sexual function

Thirty versus 60-Watt thulium laser enucleation of prostate: Toward the development of low-power anatomical enucleation of the prostate

Introduction

We aimed to study whether using 30 W versus 60 W thulium enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) would affect postoperative outcomes in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Materials and Methods

We prospectively identified male patients with moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. We randomized patients into 30 W (Group 1) or 60 W (Group 2) thulium yag laser with a 550 μm laser fiber and a 26 Fr continuous flow resectoscope. We collected data related to prostate size, enucleation time, morcellation time, laser time, perioperative complications, and 1-year functional outcomes.

Results

A total of 120 patients were included, with a mean age of 67 years and a mean prostate size of 105 g. The preoperative characteristics were similar across both groups. The mean operative time was shorter in the 60 W group, 74 ± 27 vs. 91 ± 33 min in the 30 W group (P = 0.001), and the mean laser time was 55 ± 20 in 60 W versus 71 ± 25 in 30 W (P = 0.0001). The mean hospital stay was 1 day in both groups and at 1-year follow-up; there was a similar improvement in mean Qmax and International Prostate Symptom Score symptom scores.

Discussion/Conclusion

Both 30 and 60 W ThuLEP provided a safe and comparable outcome with a relatively shorter operative time for the 60 W groups. Perhaps using a 30-W setting would be beneficial in the early learning curve or cases with more bleeding capsular perforators; besides, the financial benefit of manufacturing low-cost low-power devices that may help in the widespread of AEEP.

Impact of Surgery for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia on Sexual Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Erectile Function and Ejaculatory Function

CONTEXT

Several sexual side effects, including erectile, ejaculatory, and orgasmic dysfunction, were reported with the majority of surgical procedures for benign prostatic obstruction (BPO).

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review current evidence regarding the impact of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery on sexual function.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A comprehensive bibliographic search on the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted in July 2021. The population, intervention, comparator, and outcome (PICO) model was used to define study eligibility. Studies were Included if they assessed patients with BPO and related lower urinary tract symptoms (P) undergoing BPH surgery (I) with or without a comparison between surgical treatments (C) evaluating the impact on sexual function (O). Retrospective and prospective primary studies were included. A pooled analysis was conducted on studies including the postoperative assessment of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5, Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD; Function and/or Bother), or retrograde ejaculation (RE) rate (PROSPERO database ID: CRD42020177907).

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

A total of 151 studies investigating 20 531 patients were included. Forty-eight randomized controlled trials evaluating 5045 individuals were eligible for the meta-analysis. In most studies (122, 80.8%), only erectile and/or ejaculatory function was evaluated. A substantial number of articles (67, 44.4%) also used nonvalidated tools to evaluate erectile and/or ejaculatory function. The pooled analysis showed no statistically significant changes in IIEF-5 score compared with baseline for the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP; weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.76 pts; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.1, 1.62; p = 0.08), laser procedure (WMD 0.33 pts; 95% CI -0.1, 0.77; p = 0.13), and minimally invasive treatment (WMD -1.37 pts; 95% CI -3.19, 0.44; p = 0.14) groups. A statistically significantly higher rate of RE was found after TURP (risk ratio [RR] 13.31; 95% CI 8.37, 21.17; p < 0.00001), other electrosurgical procedures (RR 34.77; 95% CI 10.58, 127.82; p < 0.00001), and the entire laser group (RR 17.37; 95% CI 5.93, 50.81; p < 0.00001). No statistically significant increase in RE rate was described after most of the minimally invasive procedures (p > 0.05). The pooled analysis of MSHQ-EjD scores was possible only for prostatic urethral lift, showing no statistically significant difference between baseline and post-treatment MSHQ-EjD Function scores (WMD -0.80 pts; 95% CI -2.41, 0.81; p = 0.33), but postoperative MSHQ-EjD Bother scores were significantly higher (WMD 0.76 pts; 95% CI 0.22, 1.30; p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Erectile function appears to be unaffected by most surgical procedures for BPO. RE is a very common adverse event of BPH surgery, although emerging minimally invasive surgical procedures could be associated with a lower risk.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery can have an impact on sexual function, mainly involving ejaculatory function.

Assessment of Sexual Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Thulium Laser Prostate Surgery for Management of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Thulium laser (Tm:YAG) prostate surgery is a safe and effective procedure with low morbidity and comparable clinical outcomes to those of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). However, the sexual function outcomes (erectile and ejaculatory function) have been scarcely studied.

Aim

We aimed to assess the impact of Tm:YAG prostate surgery on sexual outcomes (erectile and ejaculatory function) and compare them with those patients undergoing TURP.

Material and Methods

We searched digital databases like PUBMED, SCOPUS, CENTRAL and EMBASE using relevant keywords to identify comparative studies on TURP and non-comparative studies on Tm:YAG prostate surgery that assessed sexual outcomes. We performed qualitative and quantitative analyses with the extracted data. We carried out a meta-analysis to compare postoperative International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores and incidences of retrograde ejaculation (RE) in patients undergoing either Tm:YAG or TURP. The pre-operative and post-operative IIEF-5 scores were pooled to estimate overall scores.

Results

We included 5 comparative and 8 non-comparative studies in this review. We found the postoperative IIEF-5 score improvements to be significantly higher in the Tm:YAG prostate surgery group than in the TURP group with a significant mean difference (MD) of 0.45 (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.72; P = .001). We found no significant associations between the procedures. The pooled OR for the association of RE was estimated at 0.90 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.60; P = .71; I² = 0%).

Conclusion

Tm:YAG prostate surgery improves erectile function more than TURP, according to our findings. Tm:YAG prostate aided surgery also outperforms TURP in terms of preserving sexual function following surgery.However, We found similar or no difference in incidence of RE between Tm:YAG prostate surgery and TURP.

Bibo L, Hao L, Pang K, et al. Assessment of Sexual Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Thulium Laser Prostate Surgery for Management of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sex Med 2022;10:100483.

Reasons to go for thulium-based anatomical endoscopic enucleation of the prostate

PURPOSE

To summarize the current evidence and the reasons to go for thulium-based anatomical endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (AEEP).

METHODS

This review discusses the available literature on thulium-based AEEP.

RESULTS

Thulium lasers operate at a wavelength between 1940 and 2013 nm. This wavelength, which has a low penetration depth in water, allows to perform smooth cuts in the prostatic tissue and allows urologists to perform various procedures: resection, vaporization, enucleation, or vapoenucleation of the prostate. Depending on the type of thulium laser, it can be used either in a continuous, or pulsed mode.

CONCLUSION

In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has described the thulium laser as a minimally invasive and size-independent treatment option for benign prostatic enlargement with excellent long-term results.

Comparison of 532-nm GreenLight HPS laser with 980-nm diode laser vaporization of the prostate in treating patients with lower urinary tract symptom secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia: a meta-analysis

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 532-nm GreenLight HPS laser (PVP) vs 980-nm diode laser vaporization of the prostate (DVP) in treating patients with lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, EMBASE (until Jun 2020), and original references of the included articles were searched. PRISMA checklist was followed. A total of four articles including 521 patients were studied. There was no significant difference in total operating time and lasering time of the two laser surgeries; however, a higher amount of total applied laser energy was delivered with DVP (P < 0.00001). The catheterization time after surgery in the PVP group was significantly longer than that in the DVP group (P = 0.0008), whereas the hospitalization time was significantly shorter than that in the DVP group (P = 0.02). Compared with baseline, there were significant improvements in the voiding variables over the observation period after surgery in both groups. PVP had a significant improvement in total international prostate symptom score (IPSS) (P = 0.0002) and quality of life (QoL) index (P = 0.003) compared with DVP after ≥12 months of postoperative follow-up. For complications after surgery, PVP had a larger number in needing for electrocautery to control bleeding (P = 0.02). Besides, the application of DVP resulted in a higher incidence of bladder neck contracture (P = 0.0007), dysuria (≥1 month) (P = 0.002), transient incontinence (P = 0.003), postoperative recatheterization (P = 0.02), and reoperation (P < 0.0001). The voiding parameters and micturition symptoms of patients with BPH after two kinds of laser surgery were significantly improved. However, PVP was more beneficial than DVP in terms of total IPSS, QoL index, and hospitalization time. Moreover, PVP showed a lower incidence of postoperative adverse events, but a higher risk of postoperative bleeding. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020203222.

Sexual outcomes of endoscopic enucleation of prostate

The emergence of various endoscopic enucleation techniques in the past decade has provided surgeons with more options and opportunities in performing enucleation. With the same surgical principle as holmium laser enucleation of prostate, the early results of different techniques were comparable. However, sexual outcomes of endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) were less commonly reported than the voiding and urodynamic outcomes. In this review, the sexual outcomes including erectile function, ejaculatory and orgasmic function of various endoscopic enucleation technique would be studied. The overall sexual outcomes were heterogeneous and inconclusive. Outcomes measurement, sample size calculation, hypothesis generation and selection criteria were not specifically designed for sexual outcomes or even available. There were also limitations in the individual sexual assessment tools. Nonetheless, most studies showed no significant deterioration of erectile function after EEP, and ejaculation dysfunction was common. Looking forward in the field of benign prostatic enlargement surgery, the 'one size fits all' notion should be abandoned. Treatment should be tailor-made according to the prostate size, co-morbidities and sexual needs. The sexual outcomes of enucleation have to be better studied and defined. More prospective controlled studies focusing primarily on sexual functions are needed. For enucleation surgeons, exploring different ejaculatory-sparing technique could be the golden opportunities in further consolidating the role and expanding the indication of enucleation surgery.

Outcome of simultaneous thulium laser enucleation of bladder tumor and prostate in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder tumor and benign prostatic hyperplasia: a matched-pair comparison with a long-term follow-up

OBJECTIVE

To access the surgical and oncological outcomes of simultaneous thulium laser enucleation of bladder tumor (ThuLEBT) and thulium laser enucleation of prostate (ThuLEP) in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder tumor (NMIBC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between June 2009 and June 2017, 118 men with NMIBC who underwent simultaneous ThuLEBT and ThuLEP and fulfilled the inclusion criteria were matched with 118 patients who received ThuLEBT alone. Clinicopathological parameters, surgical outcome data and oncological outcomes were retrospectively analyzed and compared.

RESULTS

The patients who underwent simultaneous ThuLEBT and ThuLEP experienced a longer length of operation time (70.4 vs. 25.5 min; p < 0.001), but there were no statistically significant differences in catheterization period, hospital stay and complication between the two groups. At a mean follow-up of 58.7 and 55.8 months in ThuLEBT/ThuLEP group and ThuLEBT group, no significant differences in overall recurrence rates, progression rates, recurrence in the bladder neck/prostatic fossa and mean elapsed time to recurrence were detected. The 5-year recurrence-free probability was 73.2% for ThuLEBT/ThuLEP and 69.2% for ThuLEBT (p = 0.361).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that simultaneous ThuLEBT and ThuLEP can be safely performed without increasing the surgical risk and the risk of tumor recurrence and progression in patients with NMIBC and BPH, and it may be preferred alternative for select patients.

Longitudinal changes in erectile function after thulium:YAG prostatectomy for the treatment of benign prostatic obstruction: a 1-year follow-up study

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of thulium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Tm:YAG) (RevoLix®) laser prostatectomy for the treatment of benign prostatic obstructions on erectile function (EF). A total of 208 patients who underwent Tm:YAG laser prostatectomies participated in this study. All cases were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaires. Patients were divided into groups A (severe erectile dysfunction [ED]), B (moderate ED), and C (mild-to-normal ED), according to their IIEF-5 scores. The median patient ages were 69, 65, and 62 years in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Significant improvements occurred in the IPSS and QoL score within the groups during the 12-month follow-up period. The IIEF-5 scores at 3 months postoperatively were lower than the preoperative scores in groups B and C. The IIEF-5 scores subsequently improved during the 12-month follow-up period. The slope of the relationship between the IIEF-5 score and the time since Tm:YAG laser prostatectomy had a ß value of 0.2210 (95% confidence interval 0.103 to 0.338, p = 0.0003); hence, each postoperative month was associated with an increase of 0.2210 in the IIEF-5 score. The IIEF-5 scores gradually increased and reached the preoperative levels by the 12-month follow-up assessment. Although the IIEF-5 score dropped significantly during the first 3 months postoperatively, it improved over the following 12 months. Tm:YAG laser prostatectomy did not impact on EF ultimately.

The impact of surgical treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia on male erectile function: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common in adult men and can impair erectile function (EF). It was believed surgical treatments for this illness can improve EF due to the relief of LUTS while they were also reported harmed EF as heating or injury effect. Current network meta-analysis aimed to elucidate this discrepancy.Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified. Direct comparisons were conducted by STATA and network meta-analysis was conducted by Generate Mixed Treatment Comparison. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled standard mean difference and 95% confidence intervals and to incorporate variation between studies.Eighteen RCTs with 2433 participants were analyzed. Nine approaches were studied as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (PKRP), plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP), Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), Holmium laser resection of the prostate (HoLRP), photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), Thulium laser, open prostatectomy (OP), and laparoscopic simple prostatectomy (LSP). In direct comparisons, all surgical treatments did not decrease postoperative International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5 score except PVP. Moreover, patients who underwent HoLEP, PKEP, Thulium laser, and TURP had their postoperative EF significantly increased. Network analysis including direct and indirect comparisons ranked LSP at the highest position on the variation of postoperative IIEF-5 score, followed by PKRP, HoLEP, TURP, Thulium laser, PKEP, PVP, HoLRP, and OP. In subgroup analysis, only PVP was found lower postoperative EF in the short term and decreased baseline group, whereas TURP increased postoperative IIEF-5 score only for patients with normal baseline EF. However, HoLEP and PKEP showed pro-erectile effect even for patients with decreased baseline EF and short-term follow-up. Our novel data demonstrating surgical treatments for LUTS/BPH showed no negative impact on postoperative EF except PVP. Moreover, HoLEP and PKEP were found pro-erectile effect for all subgroups. New technologies, such as LSP, PKRP, and Thulium laser, were ranked at top positions in the network analysis, although they had no pro-erectile effect in direct comparison due to limited original studies or poor baseline EF. Therefore, further studies and longer follow-up are required to substantiate our findings.