More visitors from Portugal

Today we received the visit of four urologists from Porto, Portugal, that will soon start operating patients suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia with the new Greenlight HPS. We only had one case scheduled, but it was a relatively difficult one. A patient with a huge prostate with a very big median lobe. I must say it has been the most challenging case I have had in some time.

Finally, the result was very satisfactory. The median lobe was completely gone and there was a huge cavity. The patient will leave tomorrow morning. I have used 800.000 Joules in approximaetely two hours of surgery... The normal plan for those who come to visit us is to see operations on smaller glands, but I think it was a good experience. Even when a case is difficult, the patient is totally safe and it is possible to negotiate any challenging situation presenting during surgery without much trouble.

Visitors from Portugal

Today we welcomed visitors in the OR. Two urologists from Portugal that wanted to learn to perform PVP (Photoselective vaporization of the prostate) with the new HPS laser system.

When we receive visitors we always comment the theoretical aspects of this technique, we watch videos, animations and discuss some data. Then we go to the OR, where I operate one or various patients, and we have a chance to comment the technique step by step and clarify any doubt on the procedure.

In this ocassion we operated a very big prostate, that was uneventful... At the end, the session was intense but very interesting, we shared many opinions and ideas.

Return to India

Again I have come to India, to participate in a workshop on greenlight HPS laser treatment of BPH. I was invited to attend this workshop at the Jaslok Hospital, in Mumbai. It is the best surigal hospital in town and it will adopt the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia with the new Greenlight HPS. I am happy to come to India, I love this country and I have also made some friends that I like to visit.

My role in this meeting was to present my experience with the technique, and its advantages over other treatment options. I had 30 minutes to explain my experience, what advantages this laser has over the 80 watt Greenlight PV (KTP laser) and above all, why I think this is the best option on earth to treat BPH. After the presentation, there was a discussion and it was a lively one.

Then we went to theater, where I performed three consecutive operations that were completely uneventful. This time we did not see a drop of blod. They were easy cases, 50, 40 and 20 grams, very easy.

Tomorrow we will operate four patients and this time I will help urologists in this hospital with their first cases. After the operations tomorrow, I will get the plane back to Madrid, that departs at 02.30 a.m. !!!

Visitors from Vitoria

Today we received visitors from Vitoria, two urologists and a group of nurses interested in witnessing the technique and the details of how a PVP with the new Greenlight HPS laser is performed. We had a patient with a relatively big prostate with a median lobe that needed three laser fibres. He had a huge median lobe and it took a little more than usual to complete the operation. After finishing, we sat down for a while to discuss the technical aspects of the operation. I showed them presentations and videos to ensure that they get all the tips and tricks!!!

Riyadh, part II

I am now at the airport waiting to embark back to Madrid after four intense days in Saudi Arabia.


The third day of my stay we did two PVPs that were uneventful. This was the most relaxed day. After sleeping and working at the hotel room for a while I had the chance to visit the Kingdom Tower, the emblematic building in Riyadh, and it is really impressive. From the bridge one can see the city, immense, built on the desert. Unfortunately my camera was retained on my way up, so I can only offer this one (see the brigde of the tower in the upper left corner of the photo?).


The fourth day we were planning to operate four patients, but two of them did not show up. The first case was a 70 gram prostate and the second was again a very big prostate maybe as big as 150 grams (the patient did not have a preoperative ultrasound, so we estimated the size endoscopically). Everything was uneventful and I had a chance to show some tips and tricks on how to tackle these relatively big glands. This time, the head of the department of Urology at the King Faisal Hospital came to theatre, and he showed a lot of interest. During the operations we had a chance to comment the subtleties of PVP with the new Greenlight HPS.


It has been an intense week, with nine surgeries in four days, but it has been really interesting to visit this hospital and get to know his urologists, great surgeons and better persons. After the success of this sessions I have receive new invitations to help train urologists in Jedda and other Saudi cities.

Operations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I have already been in Riyadh for two days. I travelled the whole day on Friday and I had a welcoming dinner in a fantastic morrocan restaurant.... a good start for a very intense trip with a lot of work ahead.

I have been invited to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre to perform a number of surgical operations (PVPs - Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate) in patients suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia with the new Greenlight HPS. The hospital wants to evaluate the technique and it has organised four days of surgery. This is a top-level tertiary hospital that is devoted to treating very complex cases coming from the whole kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here is where the members of the Saudi Royal Family come for medical care. It is equipped with the latest technology and it is truly a healthcare city.... it is an impressive hospital.


A good part of the sanitary personnel is non-saudi, and comes from more than 80 different countries, which makes this hospital a really exceptional place. I must admit I am very impressed to see the quality of healthcare here, the outstanding level of doctors and the technology available.

Each day I have been asigned to treat the patients of one of the consultants of the department. The objective is to show them the technical tips and tricks and to allow them to witness the surgery and evaluate the results in their own patients.


The first day I operated two cases, a 40-50 gram prostate and an 85 gram prostate with a big median lobe. Both cases were uneventful. Today I saw the patients in the morning and both were feeling fine and have been already discharged.


This morning we operated a small prostate and a bladder tumour in a high risk patient and then they offered me to operate a patient with a huge 200 gram prostate, that also was satisfactory, although it was probably the most difficult case they can offer to a visiting surgeon... I suppose they found it interesting to see the performance of the HPS laser in huge prostates. After the surgical session we had some lunch at the urology department and then I did a talk on the Greenlight Laser, that was followed by a discussion.


Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow there are more patients programmed, so there is still a lot to do... Tonight we will go to a typical Saudi Restaurant, and believe me, the food is very good here ,-)