GreenLight PVP is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A small laser is passed through the urethra and used to vaporize excess prostate tissue that is obstructing urine flow, without an external incision.

The procedure can provide substantial and durable improvement in urinary flow and BPH symptoms and is particularly useful for men seeking a minimally invasive alternative to traditional prostate surgery. Most patients are discharged the same day or after a short observation period.

A temporary catheter is commonly required after surgery for one night. Burning with urination, urinary frequency, urgency, and some blood in the urine are common during the early recovery period. Urinary frequency and urgency can sometimes persist for several months if they were very bothersome pre-operatively, but tend to resolve with time, or can be medically managed post-operatively. Most men see progressive improvement over several weeks, although complete healing can take longer. Risks include bleeding, infection, temporary urinary symptoms, urethral stricture, bladder neck contracture, and changes in ejaculation. With ejaculatory-sparing techniques, retrograde ejaculation rates are significantly lower. Surgical re-treatment rates are ~7% at 5 years post-operatively, similar to TURP. These are lower than with some of the less invasive techniques such as Urolift (~15%) or Rezum (often 10-15%).