Laser Prostate Surgery Debuts in Michigan

WAYNE, Mich., Jan. 30 -- The Niagara PVP laser photoselective vaporization procedure (PVP) has been used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) for the first time by Oakwood Annapolis Hospital.

Mahmood Hai, M.D., Oakwood Annapolis Hospital urology specialist and clinical advisor of the system, said "This is the most effective and significant treatment I have ever used in my 25 years of treating BPH. This will become the 'gold standard' for treatment of BPH."

The Niagara PVP system and KTP/532nm laser were developed by Laserscope (San Jose, Calif.) in consultation with Hai, who has performed more than 50 procedures with the new laser since December 2000.

The 20-minute procedure, performed under local anesthetic, reduces recovery time from weeks to days, is virtually bloodless and is almost half the cost of traditional invasive surgery, Hai said. The procedure yields immediate results with almost no complications or negative sexual side effects, he added.