For many patients suffering from prostate cancer, prostate laser surgery is an option they might want to look into. Why? Because, for various reasons, prostate laser surgery is a more attractive alternative to the treatments and surgeries traditionally used to treat prostate cancer.

In traditional prostate cancer surgery, certain nerves have to be cut in order to reach the area of the prostate being affected by the cancer. And since these nerves control erection, and don’t tend to grow back or repair themselves, men who undergo this procedure are often left impotent.

It is understandable why those suffering from prostate cancer would prefer to try other alternatives. And one alternative that may soon be widely available to them is prostate laser surgery.

What Is Prostate Laser Surgery?

Prostate laser surgery kills prostate cancer tumors without damage other tissue, which is a problem with many of the more common cancer treatments.

How does prostate laser surgery work? Well, in this procedure, microscopic “nanotubes” of carbon particles are injected into the tumor and infused with radiation. The “laser radiation” causes the nanotubes to vibrate, which creates heat and kills the surrounding cancer cells. In this way, tumors are destroyed, leaving nothing but superficial burns, which heal very quickly, in their wake.

The Advantages of Prostate Laser Surgery

Of course, the biggest advantage of prostate laser surgery is that it wouldn’t cause the damage and long term, negative effects that traditional prostate cancer surgery can. And the recovery time for patients will be much faster. So they can be out of the hospital and back home with their families, much faster.

Also, it seems like prostate laser surgery won’t have the side effects that traditional radiation therapy might have. Because traditional radiation therapy can affect parts of the body beyond the area affected by the cancer, it can have an effect on how they feel in general. Common complaints are weakness and fatigue, constant nausea, and frequent bouts of vomiting.

With prostate laser surgery, the radiation is confined to a specific area, so won’t have the same effect on the rest of the patient’s body.

There is hope that this procedure can be used to destroy tumors present in many areas of the body, including the brain, lungs, bladder, and prostate. And, while not widely available just yet, scientists believe this procedure will revolutionize cancer treatment, and that prostate laser surgery will be widely available in as little as five years.