HoLEP (Holmium Laser) for Prostate Treatment

HoLEP (Holmium Laser) for Prostate Treatment

Benign prostatic enlargement is a disease that makes urination difficult, impairs men's physical and psychological health, negatively affects their work and social life, and reduces their quality of life. The HoLEP method has an important place in the treatment of this disease. HoLEP provides a fast and comfortable recovery. Today it is considered a safe operation of growing popularity and increasingly widespread use, accepted as an alternative to open surgery, with good results and advantages in terms of complications.

HoLEP is a closed (endoscopic) prostate operation and an effective treatment for men with benign prostatic enlargement. The treatment is effective for prostate enlargement of all sizes. With the help of a laser, the enlarged inner prostate tissue is separated from its capsule and removed.

Situations in which HoLEP is used:

• Impaired kidney function,
• Frequent bleeding and stone formation,
• Need for a catheter to pass urine,
• A large amount of urine remaining in the bladder after urination,
• Persistent and recurrent infections,
• Lack of benefit from medication

After operations performed with the HoLEP method:

• Since the sphincter structure can be preserved during surgery, urinary incontinence does not occur.
• Since the nerves responsible for erection are not affected, problems such as sexual dysfunction are not seen.
• Since the blood vessels supplying the prostate tissue are sealed with the laser, there is much less bleeding compared with other techniques.
• Since all of the prostate tissue apart from the capsule is removed, the risk of the disease recurring is quite low.
• The hospital stay is short, and patients return to their daily activities in a short time.

HoLEP Surgery

The HoLEP procedure must be performed under sterile operating room conditions and under anesthesia. In this method, an endoscope is inserted through the urethra without making any incision. The enlarged parts of the prostate are separated from the capsule with the help of a laser and pushed into the bladder, where they are then broken into very small pieces and removed. The tissue is sent to pathology to check for cancer. The urinary catheter placed right after the operation is usually removed within 1 or 2 days, once the urine is seen to be clear and free of bleeding.