Clinical Outcomes of Contact Laser Vaporization of the Prostate(CVP): Insights from Pressure Flow Studies

Yao-Chi ChuangTaiwan Moderator Road to Excellent ResearchYao Chi Chuang, Professor of Urology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and National Sun Yat-sen University Taiwan. Medical research is what allows doctors to explore unmet medical need and decide how to best treat patients. It is what makes the development of new diagnostic tools, new biomarkers, new medicines, and new procedures. Without medical research, we would not be able to creative new knowledge and decide if new treatments are better than our current treatments. There are some Tips on what to do about what research is and how to get into it: 1. Ask a good question from your daily practice, what is unmet medical need? 2. Search the old literature of your research interests- what is known? What is unknown? 3. Find a new method to solve your question or an old method but applying to a new field. 4. Start from jointing a pre-planned research project, and join a research collaborative. 5. Try to be an independent researcher from a small project without funding support, retrospective study. 6. Try to get funding support from your institute, national grant, or industry. As a young doctor, it’s important to look after yourself and maintain a healthy balance between daily practice and research work. There is a range of options for doctors interested in research, from smaller time commitments as a co-investigator to longer-term projects and experience as chief investigator. Research works are all optional activities, so do what you can but don’t overwhelm yourself. Road to Excellent Research

Yoshitaka KuranoJapan Speaker Clinical Outcomes of Contact Laser Vaporization of the Prostate(CVP): Insights from Pressure Flow Studies【Introduction】 Contact laser Vaporization of the Prostate (CVP) is one of the surgical treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). CVP is the instant evaporation of swollen prostate tissue that is accomplished by irradiating the prostate tissue with a laser beam (e.g., a 980 nm diode laser) through an optical fiber. In Japan, regulatory approval was obtained in April 2016, and Kochi University Hospital is the first public university hospital in Japan to introduce this procedure in March 2023. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes of CVP, including findings from a pressure flow study (PFS). 【Materials and Methods】 Between March 31, 2023, and March 1, 2025, 82 patients underwent CVP at our institution. Among them, 31 patients with PFS findings both before and 3 months after surgery were analyzed for treatment outcomes using the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QOL) scores, and PFS parameters. Perioperative complications were assessed in 82 patients. 【Results】 The mean patient age was 75.9 years, with an average prostate volume of 64.9 mL and post-void residual volume of 150mL. The mean bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) score from the Schafer nomogram was 3.9. The mean OABSS total score was 7.2, and the mean total IPSS score was 16.7. CVP using the XCAVATOR fiber was performed in 8 patients. Surgical outcomes were as follows: the mean operation time was 91.3 minutes, laser irradiation time was 48.7 minutes, catheterization duration was 3.1 days, and the mean hospital stay was 4.8 days. Significant improvements in IPSS and QOL scores were observed one month postoperatively. Three months postoperatively, PFS showed significant improvements in the bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI), PdetQmax, Qmax, voided volume, and post-void residual volume. However, no significant changes were observed in the bladder contractility index (BCI), first desire to void (FDV), normal desire to void (NDV), or maximum cystometric capacity (MCC). Perioperative complications included transient urinary retention in eight patients (9.7%), urinary tract infection in eight patients (9.7%), postoperative bleeding in four patients (4.8%), and urinary incontinence in one patient (1.2%). 【Conclusions】 Our study demonstrated that CVP effectively improved lower urinary tract symptoms and bladder outlet obstruction. PFS evaluation confirmed significant improvements in bladder outlet obstruction parameters. Further studies are warranted to assess the long-term outcomes and their impact on bladder function.