Lasers in Urology – what has Survived of our Research Starting 1970* Volume 3 - Issue 2

Alfons Georg Hofstetter*

• Department of Urology LMU, Germany

Received: September 20, 2021;   Published: September 27, 2021

Corresponding author: Alfons Georg Hofstetter, Department of Urology LMU, Germany

DOI: 10.32474/JUNS.2021.03.000157

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Abstract

In 1970 I started to investigate the Laser-Technology for urologic surgery together with H. Müßiggang. First of all, it was to check the interacting of the different lasers with biological tissue. The result you can gather from the Figure 1 Decisive are the two factors: absorption and scattering of light into the tissue. The strong light absorption of the CO2 – laser leads to an excellent incision effect with low edema reaction. The light of the is mainly absorbed in the tissue by hemoglobin and pigment colorings and therefore suitable for the destruction of highly vascularized tumors or malformations. For achieving greater volume effects, - necessary for destruction of solid tumors, bilharzial bladder-lesions and inflamed areas in interstitial cystitis, - the Nd:YAG – laser was used by us since 1976 (Figure 2). Presupposed for the clinical application of lasers was the developing of a quartz glass fiber transmission system by Nath, a physicist from the Neuherberg Laser Labor (1973) and the developing of a special cystoscope insert, designed by my working-group (Staehler, Frank et al.) and constructed by the Storz Compagny/Tuttlingen/Germany (Figure 3). The next steps were the laser induced shock wave lithotripsy, developed between 1978 to 1986 (Munich/Lübeck) and the photodynamic procedures for early tumor diagnosis (Figures 5a & 5b).

Short Communication| Now is to ask – what survived?|