Olympus announced the U.S. launch of its Plasma-Oval Button for urologic procedures, including minimally invasive surgery to reduce benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared device uses Olympus’ plasma technology in a novel electrode shape to boost surgical efficacy, increase tissue removal rates, and improve clinical outcomes.

The Plasma-Oval Button is the latest entry in the company’s line of Plasma Loops and electrodes that provide a comprehensive transurethral resection (TUR) solution utilizing Olympus’ plasma technology. The Plasma-Oval Button procedure is performed in saline, a method that has been found to reduce the risk of TUR syndrome, to cause less bleeding, improve visualization, precision cutting, and coagulation, and to shorter catheterization and procedure times compared to usual monopolar procedures.

“The new Olympus Plasma-OvalButton is a tremendous advancement in the treatment of BPH,” Dr. Kenneth Kernen, MD, Beaumont Health System, said in a press release. “It is more effective and will allow more TURs to be performed on an outpatient basis.”

In the U.K., the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) also recommended the adoption of Olympus’ plasma resection system, or TURis (transurethral resection in saline), for Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) procedures to treat BPH.

NICE concluded:

• Using bipolar energy instead of monopolar during the procedure avoids the risk of TUR syndrome, reduces the need for blood transfusion, and has the potential to reduce the length of hospital stay.
• Little training is needed for surgeons who already are performing monopolar TURP procedures.
• Olympus plasma resection would not result in changes to the current pathway of patient care or involve additional system resources.

BPH is a condition that increases in risk with age. It is characterized by the enlargement of the prostate, which causes pressure against the urethra given the size of prostate gland, making it difficult to expel urine from the body. Among the most common symptoms are frequent urination, weak urine stream, and a persistent feeling of having to urinate. Each year in the U.S., about 150,000 men undergo a TURP operation. In the procedure, the surgeon uses an endoscopic image to guide the electrode through the urethra to the prostate, to remove prostatic tissue and allow for normal urinary function.

“Olympus is pleased to strengthen our industry leading urology portfolio even further with the Plasma-OvalButton,” said Todd Usen, president, Olympus Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. “We expect that this plasma vaporization technology, already embraced by the urology community, will soon become the industry standard for how transurethral resection is conducted.”

The Plasma-Oval Button will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, running May 6–10 in San Diego, California.