Lasers for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia: when is the fuss worth it?

In the recent past, several endoscopic procedures using laser technology have evolved for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The term "laser treatment of the prostate" comprises a variety of different application systems, different laser wavelengths, and different surgical techniques to eliminate bladder outlet obstruction. The aim of laser prostatectomy is to be less invasive than transurethral electroresection, but equally effective. Promising short-term results led to a booming laser decade in the 1990s, stimulating the development of several devices. However, the emergence of medium-term data has shown that some of these techniques did not stand the test of time due to the lack of long-term efficacy, unacceptable morbidity, and high retreatment rates. Nevertheless, the results of transurethral resection of the prostate are challenged by some of the newer laser devices, putting the socalled "gold standard" into question.