The obvious choice is the one that will produce the least side effects and will provide the best outcome.
Lasers that target blood such as KTP, Green Light, Diode and Nd:YAG have a distinct disadvantage since when there is little or no blood present in the tissue more tissue will necrose, causing dysuria and pain. Also there is very little absorption of the laser energy in water and so the surgeon must be careful not to damage surrounding structures such as the bladder neck.
Lasers that target water are better because there is less necrosis, better hemostasis and you can return to a normal life much faster. There are two lasers that are in this group. The Holmium laser, which is a pulsed laser and tends to tear the tissue and the other, is the latest technology which is the Thulium laser.
The RevoLix is the most advanced Thulium laser available and provides the surgeon with many advantages over the other procedures that are available. These advantages directly impact the outcome for the patient.
The surgeon has in fact two different methods that can be used to remove the tissue. The first is vaporization and the second is vapor-resection. Vapor-resection is where the surgeon uses the laser to cut out small pieces of tissue that can easily be flushed out of the bladder through the urethra. The advantage here is that for larger prostates the surgeon can remove tissue in a faster and safer manner, which shortens the procedure time. Also hemostasis and visualization of the prostate is much better than the lasers that target blood.
Safety and efficacy are of paramount importance and the RevoLix laser provides both of these.