Purpose: GreenLight XPS Laser System (GL-XPS) photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) is not only noninferior to transurethral resection of the prostate, but also with shorter rates of hospital stay and length of catheterization. Scarce literature has been published about the feasibility and safety of performing GL-XPS PVP in an outpatient setting. Our aim is to report our 7-year experience with outpatient GL-XPS PVP. Methods: Medical charts of all patients who underwent GL-XPS PVP between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed. Patients were discharged after careful monitoring in the recovery room and the catheter was removed either at home or at a scheduled hospital visit. We used the Shapiro-Wilk test to assess for normal distribution, and the evaluation of homoscedasticity was performed with the SD test. For qualitative variables, the comparison between groups was carried using the chi-square test and for the quantitative variables we used the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A total of 537 patients were treated, 517 in an outpatient basis. Median age was 68 years (interquartile range [IQR] 62-76), median prostate volume 50 cc (IQR 40-70). 22.8% were on anticoagulants or antiplatelet therapy. Median operative time was 100 minutes (IQR 75-125), length of hospital stay 5 hours (IQR 4-6.45), mean length of catheterization 48 hours (SD 14.92). Readmission rate within 90 days of surgery was 11.7%, 58 (10.8%) for surgical-related complications. Median time for readmission was 4 days (IQR 2-24). Immediate readmission (within 10 days) was recorded in 7.6% of patients, urinary retention was the main cause. No significant differences were found trying to find perioperative predictors for readmission. Conclusions: Our experience suggests that outpatient GL-XPS PVP could be performed safely with a predefined outpatient pathway, with a low readmission and complication rate. (IRB number CEI-521).
Keywords: benign prostatic hypertrophy; laser photoablation of tissue; laser therapy; laser vaporization; outpatient care.