HoLEP stands for ‘holmium laser enucleation of the prostate’. Holmium is a kind of laser beam. Enucleation means ‘to remove the core’. During a HoLEP, the benign prostate tumour (=the core) is removed via the urethra. The urologist does this by means of an instrument with a camera that can be advanced through the urethra into the bladder.
This treatment can best be compared to a tangerine, from which the core (= the flesh) is removed through the urethra up to the peel. The peel itself remains in place. In other words, you still have a prostate afterwards, albeit much smaller than before. This reduces the pressure on the urethra and you will be able to urinate more easily again afterwards.
The procedure consists of two parts:
During the first part the benign tumour (the flesh) is detached from the prostate capsule (the peel) by laser energy. The tumour will be detached and pushed towards the bladder.
During the second part the benign tumour, which is now floating freely in the bladder, is crushed by means of a special instrument (the morcellator) and removed through the urethra. No cutting is required to remove this tissue.
CTA: HoLEP
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