ATLANTA – Emory Healthcare is the first health system in Georgia to offer a state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedure for prostate enlargement causing bothersome urinary symptoms. The HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) procedure uses a laser to remove the vast majority of the obstructing prostate tissue and requires no incisions, which can lead to a quicker recovery and reduced need for further treatment.

“Emory’s Department of Urology is the first in the state to offer this unique, minimally invasive therapy for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate who have troublesome urinary symptoms that are not controlled well with medication,” says Brendan Browne, MD, assistant professor of urology, Emory University School of Medicine. “BPH is one of most common diagnoses in urology --- at 50 years old, 50 percent of men have the condition, while at 85 years old, almost 90 percent of men suffer from the condition.”

Browne goes on to say, “The innovative HoLEP procedure is an ideal choice for patients whose prostates are too large for standard transurethral resection of the prostate, known as TURP, and avoids the invasiveness of open or robotic transabdominal surgeries. It is the ideal combination of minimally invasive treatment with maximal resection, allowing faster recovery and minimal need for retreatment.”

The procedure involves passing a scope or flexible tube through the urethra while the patient is under general anesthesia in the operating room. Doctors then use a high-powered laser to remove tissue that is blocking urine flow through the prostate. That tissue is then suctioned out of the bladder. Patients usually spend one night in the hospital and often have their catheter removed before leaving the hospital and can discontinue the medications used to help with urination.

Benefits of the HoLEP procedure include:

• Minimally invasive procedure with no skin incisions
• Significant improvement in urinary flow and improvement in urinary symptoms
• Shorter hospital stay than other BPH surgical procedures
• Shortest catheter duration of any BPH procedure
• Largest amount of prostate tissue removed of any transurethral BPH treatment option
• Lowest rate of retreatment among BPH procedures

“Because 80 to 90 percent of the prostate tissue is removed during the procedure, the HoLEP has the lowest retreatment rate of any BPH treatment currently available,” says Browne. “That is great news for patients.”

For more information on the HoLEP procedure at Emory Healthcare, please visit this link.