Maurice,
PVP is done using a fiber optic probe.  The fiber optic probe is damaged and
degraded during surgery by the high power of the laser and the debris that
accumulates at the fiber tip. So reuse is not practical.

However the cost of the fiber optic probe is about $500 and so it represents
a small portion of the cost of a PVP when one considers the doctor, the
hospital, the anesthesiologist, the pre-surgery testing etc.

Patrick

I seem to remember seeing a statement a while ago to the effect that a
single-use-only (fibre?) tube is used for each PVP, priced at 1,000(?)
USD/UKP.    Is this true?
If so, what is to prevent their re-use, to save money?

Are any other tubes used during a PVP (apart from catheter)?
Are these single-use only? If not, how do they get sterilised?
(Same Q. for catheter, I suppose...)

Just curious (in advance of PVP next month!)....

Maurice Batey (Retired in Hampshire, UK)

http://www.maurice.eurobell.co.uk

(Change "no.spam" to "." in E-mail address.)

maurice@eurobellno.spamco.uk (Maurice Batey) wrote in
news:YeX7JeKVbJN0-pn2-4EEKy1TsdIw6@77-058.cr.access.eurobell.c
o.uk:

One thing I'd forgotten to mention about my PVP was a slight
soreness of the throat after the op. The patient in the next bed
remarked on the sensation or I would not have noticed it. We
concluded that this was caused by some tube inserted into the
trachea while under the general.

There is also the injection for the anaesthetic in the back
of the hand and the tube for fluid replacement in the wrist.

I think all these will be disposable these days as the AIDS
viruses can be conveyed on such items and normal sterlization
doesn't kill them. I'm no expert, but that is my understanding.

Derry