Lee,
PVP is a green light beam concentrated on to a tiny spot.  It literally
boils the prostate tissue in milliseconds.

It is not the kind of  radiation that you would think of as harmful like
X-rays, or ultraviolet rays or neutrons etc.

Since the green light radiation doesn't penetrate very far (less than a few
millimeters), tissue deeper than that which is boiled off isn't exposed to
the laser light.

Hope this explanation helps.

Patrick

The term *radiation* should really be *ionizing radiation*. The radiation
used in PVP is just ordinary but intense light. I would be much more worried
about other problems that surgeons can engender.

That said, green light can produce local ionization.  The extent of
deleterious ionization produced de dependent upon wavelength of the light.
Green is near the threshold of being able to produce chemical change. It
certainly can do so if conditions are correct. Violet light and ultraviolet
is much more effective at disruptin body chemistry. X-rays ar much more
troublesome because they can poenetrate and are capable of serious
disruption via ionization.

Think of it as not being nearly as bad as a mild sunburn at worst.

Bill