What are the benefits of green light laser prostatectomy?

Written in association with: Mr Marcus Cumberbatch

Published: 21/08/2023

Edited by: Conor Dunworth

In his latest online article, renowned consultant urological surgeon Mr Marcus Cumberbatch explains the benefits of undergoing green light laser prostate surgery for enlarged prostate. He explains whether or not the results of this procedure are permanent, and describes the ideal candidate for this treatment.

What are the main benefits of undergoing green light laser prostate surgery?

The main benefit of green light laser prostate surgery (GLLP) over a TURP (transurethral resection of prostate), is that patients don’t lose as much blood. This facilitates a same-day discharge, and no requirement for bladder washouts by the ward team. GLLP also uses saline (salt water) rather than stronger fluids during the operation to irrigate the bladder.

Saline has no side effects. The glycine used in TURP operations can cause severe brain swelling in some cases. As such, GLLP operations can go on for longer with no change in risk, this allows larger prostates to be tackled and more of the prostate to be removed in each case.

What condition/conditions does the surgery help with?

GLLP is used to treat enlarged prostate glands. The prostate is located between the bladder and the base of the penis and has a role in testosterone manufacture and helps make semen more liquid. As men get older, the prostate gets larger. This is usually a benign (non-cancerous) growth. However, this can result in difficulties passing urine and emptying the bladder. The medical term for this problem is benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and bladder outflow obstruction (BOO).

Who is the ideal candidate for this procedure?

Men who have been on medical (drug) treatment for BPH or who have required a catheter due to not being able to pee.

Will the results of the surgery be permanent?

Patients can expect long-term benefits from the surgery. Most men only require the operation once. However, occasionally the prostate can grow back and men may need a second operation (a re-do). This would normally occur many years after the original surgery.

Mr Marcus Cumberbatch is a leading consultant urological surgeon based in Sheffield & Nottingham. If you would like to book a consultation with Mr Cumberbatch, you can do so today via his Top Doctors profile.

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By Mr Marcus Cumberbatch

Urology in Sheffield

Mr Marcus Cumberbatch is a leading consultant urological surgeon based in Sheffield and Nottingham, who specialises in prostate cancer, prostate biopsy and bladder problems alongside bladder cancer, benign prostate disease and diagnostic treatment. He privately practises at The Thornbury Hospital, Spire Hospital Claremont and The Park Hospital, while his NHS base is Royal Hallamshire Hospital. He is also the Cancer Lead of the directorate. Mr Cumberbatch has an impressive educa...

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Book online Call to make an appointment

By Mr Marcus Cumberbatch
Urology

Mr Marcus Cumberbatch is a leading consultant urological surgeon based in Sheffield and Nottingham, who specialises in prostate cancer, prostate biopsy and bladder problems alongside bladder cancer, benign prostate disease and diagnostic treatment. He privately practises at The Thornbury Hospital, Spire Hospital Claremont and The Park Hospital, while his NHS base is Royal Hallamshire Hospital. He is also the Cancer Lead of the directorate.

Mr Cumberbatch has an impressive educational CV, with an MBBS from University College London and MRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. As part of his medical school training, Mr Cumberbatch attended the Welcome Institute where he obtained a scholarship to complete an Intercalated BSc in the History of Medicine.

Further educational achievements include foundation training in the Nottingham Deanery, the Academic Clinical Fellowship and a PhD in Cancer Biology. He was also awarded an Academic Clinical Lectureship by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and was granted the Ellison-Cliffe Foundation Award by the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) where he learnt about robot-assisted surgery and novel cancer diagnostics in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr Cumberbatch is highly respected among his peers, and he has presented at various international conferences in countries including Japan, Spain and Denmark. He holds several leadership positions including principal investigator on a number of NIHR portfolio clinical trials investigating the use of robotics in minimally-invasive surgery, patient outcome meetings and cancer screening.

His clinical research has featured in a selection of peer-reviewed journals, and he has an international reputation for his cancer epidemiology knowledge. Mr Cumberbatch is a member of various professional organisations, including the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the Medical Defence Union (MDU). Furthermore, he's a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

In 2021, Mr Cumberbatch published an international multicentre series showing that robotic surgery can be used even in high-risk situations where kidney function is poor or only one kidney is present. These patients previously may have been facing open surgery or lifelong dialysis, but with robotic techniques can now be offered a keyhole operation to remove the cancer with less complications, faster recovery, and preserved kidney function.

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By Mr Marcus Cumberbatch

Urology in Sheffield , Nottinghamshire

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