Thulium Laser Versus Bipolar Enucleation of the Prostate

* Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common and bothersome diseases influencing the quality of life of aging males. For decades, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been recognized as the standard treatment for BPH .Recently, endoscopic laser treatments of BPH has been developed as the result of advances in laser technology and better understanding of tissue-laser interactions and nowadays it represents a challenge for TURP as regards the peri-operative outcomes. * Both the European Association of Urology (EAU) and American Urological Association (AUA) recommend endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP) as one of the techniques for management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with various techniques that could be implemented including enbloc and three/two lobe enucleation. * The classical laser enucleation technique consists of a three-lobe enucleation of the adenoma with separate enucleation of the median and lateral lobes. Scoffone and Cracco developed an "en-bloc" enucleation technique for HoLEP (holmium laser enucleation) in 2016, showing a potential role to ease some difficult intraoperative steps of enucleation and to improve the learning curve and both of the techniques mentioned were found to be applicable for bipolar endoscopic enucleation as well. * Regarding the thulium laser physical properties; its wavelength is very close to the peak for absorption in water about 1940 nm being similar to the holmium laser wavelength which is about 2010 nm. However, unlike the pulsed wave holmium laser, this high density energy of thulium laser is best delivered in a continuous wave. This is translated into more efficient vaporization and shallower depth of penetration in tissue, which has been reported to be 0.2 mm as compared with 0.4 mm for holmium lasers. In thulium laser; the continuous wave mode is more suitable for hemostasis and coagulation of tissue, whereas the pulsed mode is more suited for lithotripsy. * BipolEP (Bipolar enucleation of the prostate) has been performed as an effective method for the management of BPH in some institutions. Bipolar enucleation of prostate is a done using energy source of a bipolar electrosurgical unit. Enucleated prostatic tissues are then removed with a morcellator.