Minimally invasive urological procedures are designed to treat conditions like urinary tract stones, prostate issues, and urethral strictures with reduced recovery times and fewer complications. Here are some common procedures:Urinary Tract Stones1. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL): Uses shock waves to break stones into smaller pieces that can be passed more easily.2. Ureteroscopy: A thin tube is inserted through the urethra and bladder to reach the ureters, where stones can be visualized and removed or fragmented using lasers.3. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL): A small incision is made in the back to remove larger stones from the kidney.Prostate Issues1. Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP): A minimally invasive procedure where excess prostate tissue is removed using a resectoscope inserted through the urethra.2. Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP): Uses a laser to remove obstructive prostate tissue, allowing for better urinary flow.3. Prostatic Urethral Lift (Urolift): Involves placing implants to hold the prostate tissue away from the urethra, improving urine flow without cutting tissue.Urethral Strictures1. Urethral Dilation: A procedure to widen the urethra using a series of progressively larger dilators.2. Internal Urethrotomy: A small incision is made in the stricture to open it up, often using a laser.3. Substitution Urethroplasty: While more invasive, this technique can replace or repair damaged urethral segments with tissue grafts, using minimally invasive techniques when possible.

What does Laparoscopic Surgery Involve?Laparoscopic surgery is a technique used in the treatment of bladder cancer before undertaking radical (or, on rare occasions, partial) cystectomy. The operation involves removing the bladder. Laparoscopic surgery is tending to replace open surgery in radical treatment of bladder cancer.The procedure is performed when a tumour is invasive, i.e., more aggressive.The main aim is the full removal of the tumour together with the whole organ (or part of it in the rare case of partial cystectomy). It is also necessary to remove the other adjacent organs.What is the Laparoscopic Surgery Procedure?Laparoscopic surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and consists of making small incisions (a few millimetres) in the patient’s abdominal wall through which instruments are inserted like a laparoscope, which allows the surgeon to perform the operation via a video monitor.The technique is used to perform a cystectomy, i.e., the removal of the bladder.What is laparoscopic bladder surgery?This technique allows radical (or possibly partial) cystectomy to be performed in bladder cancer treatment.Radical cystectomy implies the total removal of the bladder and other adjacent organs (such as the prostate and seminal vesicles in men and the uterus, ovaries and part of the vaginal wall in women).Rarely indicated, partial cystectomy only implies removal of part of the bladder.When is laparoscopic surgery recommended?This surgical treatment is recommended for invasive vesical tumours (i.e., that invade the bladder wall muscle layer). As these tumours are aggressive, it is necessary to remove some of the organs adjacent to the bladder.What other organs are removed besides the bladder?If a radical cystectomy is performed, in addition to the bladder, the prostate and seminal vesicles are removed in men. In women, the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes and part of the vaginal wall are also removed.

The laser is an excellent surgical instrument widely used in surgical oncology. In urology, the Thulium lasers can be used for the excision of tumors of the urethra, bladder, ureter and kidneys. The use of wavelengths, that are transmitted through fiber optics, allows the work to be performed easily by endoscope.Prostate laser surgeryProstate laser surgery is used to relieve moderate to severe urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate — a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).During prostate laser surgery, your doctor inserts a scope through the tip of your penis into the tube that carries urine from your bladder (urethra). The prostate surrounds the urethra, and if the prostate is enlarged, it restricts urine flow from the bladder. A laser passed through the scope delivers energy that shrinks or removes excess tissue from the prostate that is preventing urine flow.Lasers use concentrated light to generate precise and intense heat. There are several different types of prostate laser surgery, including:Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP). A laser is used to melt away (vaporize) excess prostate tissue and enlarge the urinary channel. This procedure is generally used to treat prostates that are mild to moderately enlarged.Holmium laser ablation of the prostate (HoLAP). This procedure is similar to PVP but uses a different type of laser.Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). A laser is used to cut and remove the excess prostate tissue that is blocking the urethra. Another instrument is then used to cut the prostate tissue into small pieces that are easily removed. HoLEP can be an option for men who have a severely enlarged prostate.The type of laser surgery your doctor recommends will depend on several factors, including:The size of your prostateYour healthThe type of laser equipment availableYour doctor's training