Concierge urology · UK
GreenLight laser PVP for BPH, day-case, safe on blood thinners.
Photoselective vaporisation of the prostate on a GreenLight XPS 180W list, by a consultant urologist — with HoLEP and TURP honestly compared before you commit, and an anticoagulation pathway if you need one.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A consultant urologist, on a proper laser list
Not a training session and not an ad-hoc slot. A named urologist with a high-volume GreenLight XPS 180W practice, on a full theatre list.
- 02
All BPH options honestly compared
PVP, HoLEP, TURP, iTIND, Rezum — each one has a right patient. We tell you if PVP is the wrong operation for your prostate before you agree to it.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private GreenLight laser PVP costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner clinics. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A GreenLight PVP in our network: £6,000–£10,000, catheter out at 24–48 hours.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreenLight PVP — small/medium prostate (30–60mL) | £6,000–£7,500 | 45–60 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| GreenLight PVP — larger prostate (60–100mL) | £7,500–£10,000 | 60–90 min | 1 night stay |
| PVP on anticoagulants (bridged pathway) | £7,000–£9,500 | 60–90 min | 1 night stay |
| Urology consultation + uroflow + PVR | £300–£500 | 45 min | Same visit |
| TRUS prostate volume + PSA workup | £450–£700 | 30 min | Same visit |
| Multiparametric prostate MRI (if PSA raised) | £650–£1,100 | 40 min | 3–5 working days |
Prices vary by clinic, by prostate volume, by whether an overnight stay is used and by whether an anticoagulation bridging pathway is needed. NHS access is via urology referral. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right operation, for the right prostate.
Men with BPH are quietly funnelled toward whichever operation their surgeon happens to do. PVP, HoLEP and TURP each have a right patient — we match the operation to your prostate volume, symptoms and blood-thinner status before you commit.
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Not sure it is needed?
Some men respond to a better medical combination or a minimally invasive option like iTIND. We say so before recommending surgery.
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On blood thinners?
PVP is often the safest surgical option — aspirin, warfarin and DOACs can frequently be continued with a specific bridging pathway.
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Want it done properly?
A high-volume GreenLight XPS 180W list, a proper theatre, and HoLEP as the honest recommendation if your prostate is too big for PVP.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery — what happens, in order.
One clinician from first message to the follow-up flow test — including the recovery window.
Phase 1 · Before your procedure
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A few hours at the clinic
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Symptoms, IPSS score if you have one, medication tried, and any retention or catheter episodes.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: PVP vs HoLEP vs TURP vs minimally invasive options, matched to your prostate volume and anticoagulation.
- 03
Before
Work-up and appointment
Uroflow, post-void residual, TRUS volume, PSA and MRI if indicated. Usually within two to three weeks. Blood thinners reviewed — often continued for PVP.
- 04
On the day
Arrival at the clinic
Arrival, consent and a chat with the urologist and anaesthetist. Spinal or GA — whichever suits you and your co-morbidities.
- 05
On the day
The procedure itself
45 to 90 minutes in theatre. A 532nm KTP or LBO laser fibre vaporises the obstructing adenoma under cystoscopic guidance until the surgical capsule is visible.
- 06
On the day
Overnight or day-case
A 3-way catheter goes in, usually without traction. Many patients go home the same day; some stay one night. The catheter comes out at 24 to 48 hours.
- 07
After
Recovery and review
Back to office work in one to two weeks; sport in two to four; no heavy lifting for four. Irritative symptoms settle over four to eight weeks. A review is arranged.
Typical end-to-end: 2–3 weeks from enquiry to procedure. Full symptomatic recovery: 4–8 weeks.
When it helps
When GreenLight laser PVP is the right operation.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means an emergency rather than an appointment.
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Moderate–severe LUTS from BPH
IPSS above 7, weak stream, hesitancy, frequency, nocturia and incomplete emptying that are affecting daily life.
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Failed medical therapy
Symptoms persisting despite an alpha-blocker and a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor at proper doses for six months or more.
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Acute urinary retention
A first or recurrent episode of retention needing a catheter — surgery is usually the definitive answer.
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Recurrent UTI or haematuria from BPH
Repeated infections or visible blood in the urine driven by a large obstructing prostate.
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Bladder stones from BPH
Stones formed because the bladder cannot empty properly — treating the outflow is the fix.
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Renal impairment from BPH
Rising creatinine or hydronephrosis on scan caused by chronic high-pressure retention.
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On anticoagulants — PVP suits you
The KTP laser is haemostatic, so aspirin, warfarin or DOACs can often be continued with specific bridging — a real advantage over TURP.
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Red flag: unable to pass urine
Complete acute retention with a painful, distended bladder is an emergency — same-day A&E for a catheter, not a clinic booking.
Procedure options
PVP is not the only BPH operation.
What each option on the table actually involves — and which fits which prostate.
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GreenLight PVP (532nm KTP/LBO)
Photoselective vaporisation with the Boston Scientific GreenLight XPS 180W system — the UK standard. Best for prostates in the 30–100mL range.
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HoLEP (holmium laser enucleation)
Enucleation rather than vaporisation. Works at any prostate size — the operation of choice for glands over 80mL. Steeper learning curve.
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TURP (transurethral resection)
The traditional benchmark. Excellent durable results but more bleeding, TUR syndrome risk on glycine irrigation and longer catheterisation.
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iTIND temporary implant
A minimally invasive day-case device left in for five to seven days. Preserves ejaculatory function. Best for smaller prostates and milder symptoms.
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Rezum water vapour therapy
Steam ablation of the adenoma under sedation. Ejaculation-preserving. Symptom relief takes weeks to months.
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Prostatic urethral lift (UroLift)
Implants that hold the lobes open. Fast recovery, ejaculation preserved, but higher retreatment rate at 5 years.
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Prostatic artery embolisation (PAE)
An interventional-radiology option for men who cannot have surgery or want to keep sexual function. Symptom relief is slower and less complete.
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Consultation only
An honest discussion of whether surgery is needed at all, and which of the above fits your prostate, symptoms and priorities.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of BPH urologists, we picked them.
Consultant urologists across London, the South East and major UK cities. Not listed publicly — introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every urologist in our network.
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Consultant urologists with high-volume GreenLight XPS 180W lists
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Both PVP and HoLEP offered in-house, so the operation matches the prostate
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Anticoagulation pathways for aspirin, warfarin, DOAC and antiplatelet patients
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Formal work-up: uroflow, post-void residual, TRUS volume, PSA and MRI where indicated
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards — honestly.
GreenLight PVP is a well-established, safe day-case operation. The things worth planning are your retrograde ejaculation counselling, the four to eight weeks of irritative symptoms, and a realistic view of retreatment rates a decade out.
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Haematuria is normal for weeks
Pink or lightly blood-stained urine for two to four weeks is expected as the vaporised bed heals. Heavy fresh bleeding or clots is not — call the team.
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Irritative voiding symptoms settle
Frequency, urgency and dysuria for four to eight weeks are the price of a raw prostatic fossa. They almost always resolve.
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Retention after catheter removal
Two to five per cent of men fail their trial without catheter and need it back in briefly. It is not a failure of the operation.
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UTI is uncommon but treatable
A short course of antibiotics if a urine culture is positive. Persistent symptoms need re-checking, not just re-treating.
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Retrograde ejaculation is expected
Sixty to eighty per cent of men ejaculate backwards into the bladder after any BPH surgery — including PVP. It is harmless but permanent.
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Erectile function usually preserved
New erectile dysfunction affects around five to ten per cent — not clearly different from medication alone in the trials.
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Urethral stricture or bladder-neck contracture
Two to five per cent of men develop scarring at the urethra or bladder neck later on, usually treatable endoscopically.
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Retreatment at 5–10 years
Around ten per cent of PVP patients need a further procedure within a decade — slightly more than TURP, less than minimally invasive options.
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Red flags
Fever, heavy fresh bleeding with clots, or inability to pass urine after the catheter is out are all reasons to seek same-day medical help.
Reading your operation note
Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever laser system was used, the note the urologist sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Surgical language is precise and can read coldly — we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and prostate volume
Why the procedure was done — LUTS, retention, stones — and the TRUS-measured prostate volume that guided the choice of PVP.
- 02 Technique
Laser settings and energy delivered
The system used (GreenLight XPS 180W), total laser energy in kilojoules, fibre time on tissue, and irrigation used (saline).
- 03 Findings
Adenoma appearance and capsule reached
Whether the surgical capsule was visualised, any median lobe treated, and any incidental cystoscopic findings such as trabeculation or stones.
- 04 Impression
Catheter plan, TWOC timing and review
Read this first: when the catheter comes out, when the trial without catheter is booked, and when to expect the follow-up flow test.
Recognised by major UK insurers
GreenLight laser PVP is covered by most major UK insurers when medically indicated. We confirm cover, procedure codes and any pre-authorisation before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about GreenLight laser PVP.
Quick answers on how PVP compares with TURP and HoLEP, blood-thinner safety, catheter time and recovery.
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What is GreenLight laser PVP for BPH?
Photoselective vaporisation of the prostate. A 532nm KTP or LBO laser fibre — most commonly the Boston Scientific GreenLight XPS 180W system used across the UK — is passed through a cystoscope and used to vaporise the obstructing prostate tissue in a sweeping pattern until the surgical capsule is visible. It is a NICE-endorsed alternative to TURP and HoLEP.
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How does PVP compare with TURP?
Symptom score and flow-rate improvements are broadly equivalent. PVP has real advantages: no TUR syndrome (saline irrigation, no fluid absorption), much less bleeding because the KTP laser is haemostatic, day-case feasibility, and faster catheter removal. The trade-off is a slightly higher retreatment rate at five to ten years — around ten per cent versus five per cent for TURP.
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How does PVP compare with HoLEP?
HoLEP works for any prostate size — a genuine advantage for glands above 80mL where PVP becomes challenging. HoLEP also has a lower long-term retreatment rate and preserves tissue for histology, whereas PVP vaporises and leaves nothing for the pathologist. PVP has a simpler learning curve, so more surgeons offer it competently.
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Can I stay on my blood thinners for PVP?
Often yes — one of the strongest reasons to choose PVP. Aspirin, warfarin and the DOACs can frequently be continued or bridged with a specific pathway agreed by your urologist and the prescribing doctor. It is a decisive advantage over TURP for men on anticoagulation.
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What size of prostate is PVP suitable for?
PVP works well from about 30mL up to 100mL. Above 80–100mL, HoLEP is usually the better operation because vaporising that much tissue with a laser takes a long time and is less complete. A TRUS volume is the deciding measurement.
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How much does private GreenLight laser PVP cost in the UK?
Roughly £6,000–£7,500 for a small–medium prostate as a day-case or one-night stay, and £7,500–£10,000 for larger glands or an anticoagulation pathway. That covers surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, laser fibre and short admission. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
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How long is the catheter in for after PVP?
Usually 24 to 48 hours. A 3-way catheter goes in during the procedure so that bladder irrigation can clear any small amount of blood, but traction is rarely needed — a real difference from TURP. Many patients go home the same day with the catheter and return for its removal.
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When can I get back to work and exercise?
Office work in one to two weeks; sport in two to four; no heavy lifting for four weeks. Irritative symptoms — frequency, urgency and stinging — settle over four to eight weeks. Flow-rate improvement is typically felt within days.
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Will PVP affect sex or ejaculation?
Retrograde ejaculation — semen going backwards into the bladder — affects sixty to eighty per cent of men after any BPH surgery including PVP. It is harmless but permanent. New erectile dysfunction affects around five to ten per cent, not clearly different from long-term medical therapy.
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