History and Development of Lasers in the Treatment of BPH

Lasers have become a fundamental tool in the modern clinical practice of multiple surgical specialties, with urology having one of the higher utilization rates. The term “laser” is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, thus lasers are devices that generate an intense beam of coherent monochromatic light (or other electromagnetic radiation) by stimulated emission of photons from excited atoms or molecules. Since lasers are capable of precisely focusing intense energy it is not surprising that they have been effectively utilized in clinical scenarios such as: wart removal, stone fracturing, and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This chapter focuses on the history of laser development and the various different lasers used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.