Olympus announced that its plasma resection system for the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was recently recommended for adoption by the U.K. National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

NICE based its recommendation on a review of previously published studies about the company’s TURis platform, a type of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) using saline, as a surgical approach to reducing enlarged prostate glands. In plasma resection TURis, prostate tissue is removed using low temperature plasma energy.

According to NICE, the advantages of this approach include:

• Its use of bipolar instead of monopoly energy, avoiding the risk of a rare complication called transurethral resection syndrome. This, in turn, reduces the need for blood transfusion and length of hospital stay
• Surgeons already using monopolar TURP need little new training to use the plasma resection system
• Patient care and equipment investment are also common in the two surgical approaches

The recommendation will be discussed at the American Urology Association annual meeting taking place May 5–10, 2016, in San Diego, California.

The TURis plasma resection system, according to a company website, does not cut and shave off tissue with a loop or burn it away with a laser, but vaporizes prostate tissue using a small and button-shaped electrode. Through low-voltage energy, a plasma field is created and coats the electrode. The surgeon uses an endoscopic image to guide the electrode assembly through the urethra into the prostate, and tissue coming into contact the electrode is vaporized and healthy tissue coagulated, minimizing bleeding. As such, the company calls it “an innovative advancement to a conventional TURP.” A urinary catheter is inserted at the procedure’s end, and patients often can be sent home the same day.

“Olympus’ plasma resection solution is an important and innovative surgical platform for our urology customers,” Todd Usen, president, Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas, said in a press release. “The clinical benefits of plasma resection are aligned with healthcare facilities’ goals to meet the triple aim of healthcare reform — increased quality of care, reduced costs and improved patient satisfaction.”