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By Mayo Clinic staffInterstitial laser therapy is usually done as an inpatient procedure, which means you'll need to stay overnight at the hospital. Before the interstitial laser therapy, your doctor will give you a general anesthetic, which means you'll be unconscious during the procedure. Or you may have an anesthetic injected into your spine to prevent pain.
During the procedure
During interstitial laser therapy, a fiber-optic scope is inserted through the tip of your penis into the tube that carries urine from your bladder (urethra). The instrument is used to puncture tiny holes through the part of the urethra that's next to the prostate. Then, laser energy is used to heat and destroy prostate tissue where it blocks urine flow. Several punctures are usually needed to complete the treatment.
After the procedure
Follow your doctor's instructions for recovery.
- Don't take blood thinning medications until your doctor says it's okay.
- Don't do any strenuous activity, such as heavy lifting, for three to five days.
- Don't have sex until your doctor says it's okay. For most men, this is a week or two after the procedure.
You may need to have a tube inside your penis to allow urine to pass from your bladder (urinary catheter) after the procedure. If you're unable to urinate after the tube is removed, your doctor may give you catheters that you can insert on your own a few times a day until you can urinate again.
Ask your doctor about any specific restrictions or other steps you need take after the procedure. Most men resume routine activities and sexual functioning in a week or two. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection and medications to reduce pain.
Common side effects of interstitial laser therapy can include:
- Blood in your urine (hematuria) for a few days after the procedure.
- Irritating urinary symptoms such as painful urination, difficulty urinating, or an urgent or frequent need to urinate. These symptoms can last for up to a few weeks after the procedure.
- AUA guideline on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Baltimore, Md.: American Urological Association. http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/main-reports/bph-management/chapt_1_appendix.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Fried NM. New laser treatment approaches for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Current Urology Reports. 2007;8:47.
- Fitzpatrick JM, et al. Minimally invasive and endoscopic management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, et al, Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/125743340-3/0/1445/91.html?tocnode=54305416&fromURL=91.html. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Daehlin L, et al. Interstitial laser coagulation in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction from benign prostatic hyperplasia: Long-term follow-up. BJU International. 2007;100:89.
- Edwards JL. Diagnosis and management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1403.
