Are you dealing with the annoying urinary difficulties due to benign prostate hyperplasia? Are you looking into the possibility of getting a green light laser prostate surgery that will put an end to your sufferings? But remember – this surgery, like any other, comes with potential side-effects that you need to remember. Let’s explore the most common and rarer side-effects of the green light laser surgery on prostate!
Why Is Green Light Laser Prostate Surgery Performed?
Green light laser surgery is performed for the purposes of treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, is quite common among older men. The symptoms of an enlarged prostate include frequent need to urinate, increased frequency of urination during the night, difficulty to start urinating, weak urine stream that stops and starts, etc. The symptoms usually start off in a more mild form but tend to get worse over time.
Green light laser surgery for prostate is one of the newest, minimally invasive treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia. The green light laser beam is used to vaporize the obstructing inner part of the prostate gland itself that is causing the urinary symptoms that are reducing the quality of life of the patient. No cuts are made as a part of the surgery.
At the end of the surgery, a catheter is placed into the bladder and through the penis as a way to drain urine in the next three days, after which the staff at the hospital removes the catheter. Once the green light laser prostate surgery is successfully performed, there is an open and clear passage for the urine to be eliminated, as all of the enlarged prostate symptoms are efficiently relieved.
What Are The Beneficial Effects Of Green Light Laser Surgery On The Prostate?
There are multiple reasons why you should peruse the opportunity to eliminate any urinary issues caused by an enlarged prostate with the help of green light laser surgery.
- Relief from urinary obstruction
- Reduced risk of prostate bleeding
- Reduced urinary symptoms
- Reduced risk of urinary infections
- Improved quality of life
- Reduced hospital stay laser prostate surgery vs. turp
[Read – Diagnostic Tests For Prostate Cancer]
Side-Effects Of Green Light Laser Surgery On The Prostate
Despite the fact that the green light laser surgery is considered to be safe and minimally invasive, there are still some potential side-effects that happen within a small percentage of the patients. Each patient who is about to undergo green light laser surgery needs to be educated about the potential side-effects so that he will be able to notice them and ask for help in time.
1. Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is rare, but a potential side-effect. What happens is either a temporary or a permanent inability to control urination, and it results due to damage to the sphincter of the bladder. Note that this side-effect affects only about 0.05% of the patient, so there is not much that you should be worried about.
2. Bleeding
After the procedure, you might experience mild bleeding. Your urine will be colored dark due to the blood, and there might be some blood clots present. If the bleeding is more severe, you should contact your doctor right away.
3. Pain
Due to the catheter that is placed after the surgery, pain, burning sensations, and an urgency to urinate might be experienced. The same symptoms might go on after the catheter is removed. Usually, an over-the-counter painkiller helps with the pain and the other symptoms. If not, please contact your doctor right away.
4. Retrograde Ejaculation
One of the most common side-effects that occur within 80% of the patients is retrograde ejaculation. When you experience an orgasm, during the ejaculation, the semen will not be ejaculated through the penis, but rather in the bladder itself. Although this is not a life-threatening symptom, it does alternate with the possibility of you fathering a child in the future since this is a permanent side-effect.
5. Urinary Infection
Patients who have had a medical history of urinary infections and/or have been using a catheter before the procedure are exposed to the risk of urinary infection. The patient will have to use antibiotics to fight the urinary infection.
6. Difficulty Urinating
If during the procedure, scar tissue is formed on the prostate or on the tip of the penis, you might experience difficulties urinating. This will require further surgical procedures to fix the issue.
7. No Relief To The Symptoms
Unfortunate but true, in about 10% of the patient, no improvement of the symptoms is recognized after the procedure has been done.
Conclusion
As you can see, urinary infections, no relief to symptoms, bleeding, and difficulty urinating are some of the most common side-effects of green light laser surgery on the prostate. Your doctor will surely explain these side-effects as a part of your green light laser surgery post-op instructions, but it is good that we have covered them now so that you have your questions ready when you head to your doctor’s office.
Doctor, author and fitness enthusiast, Ahmed Zayed, MD, is a surgery resident with a passion for helping people live a happy healthy life. He is the author of numerous health-related books and contributor to several medicine, health and wellbeing websites.
