Principles and advantages of prostate vaporization electrosurgery

  Prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in older men, and although medication is now effective, surgical treatment is still the most effective way to treat severe prostate enlargement. The traditional surgical treatment is open prostate removal, but it is traumatic, bleeding, long and painful hospital stay for the patient, high complication rate, and unsuitable for patients with weak general health.  The procedure has been commonly performed in China since the 1970s and has the advantages of no open surgical incision, wide indications, high efficacy, low patient pain and quick recovery. It has become a routine method of surgical treatment for patients with prostate enlargement and is known as the “gold standard” of surgical treatment for prostate enlargement. The procedure has been described as the “gold standard” of surgical treatment for prostate enlargement. However, TURP still has certain complications, such as bleeding, electrodesiccation syndrome (water poisoning), urinary incontinence and impotence. In addition, TURP is not suitable for large prostate and patients with bladder stones and bladder diverticula. Since 1995, transurethral vaporization resection of prostate (TUVP) has been performed in China, which combines the advantages of transurethral electrodes and laser coagulation vaporization of prostate, and vaporizes prostate tissue through vaporizing electrodes with cutting power of 300W, and forms a coagulation layer under the vaporized layer. The vaporization electrode, with a cutting power of 300W, vaporizes the prostate tissue and forms a coagulation layer under the vaporized layer of tissue, which can effectively reduce intraoperative and postoperative bleeding.  After entering the new millennium, the efficiency of resection was greatly improved by improving the vaporization electrode, replacing the roller electrode with a ring shovel type vaporization electrode with a sharp edge and a purely thick trailing edge, and then combining it with TURP, which is transurethral vaporization electrosurgery of the prostate (TUEVAP). It combines the advantages of vaporization and electrodes, and can achieve both vaporization and cutting. Its surgical method is to use the vaporization electrode ring to quickly remove the gland, exert the vaporization and coagulation effect of TUVP to reduce bleeding, and then use the electrodes to repair and level the wound to make the urinary tract unobstructed. It has a large resected gland, clear surgical field, short operation time, broader indications, and can be applied to elderly and critically ill patients and those with large prostate volume, and the patient recovers quickly, with a short hospital stay and low costs required. It is a major advancement in intracavitary urological surgery in recent years.  In addition to the treatment of prostate enlargement, transurethral vaporization electrosurgery can also be used for the treatment of bladder tumors, prostate cancer, adenocystitis, urethral stricture, etc. It is a minimally invasive approach to modern surgery. It represents the development of modern surgery towards minimally invasive.