Jason Lee, MD

For more information on Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) or #YaleMedicine, visit: https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/holmium-laser-enucleation-of-the-prostate-holep.

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, or HoLEP, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The prostate is a gland that sits below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis and out of the body. The prostate enlarges as a man ages, which can result in BPH. In BPH, the enlarged prostate physically presses against the urethra, either blocking it or causing it to narrow. This can cause problems with urination, including increased urinary frequency and/or urgency and an inability to fully empty the bladder. Over time, it can also result in a weakened bladder, which also makes it more difficult to empty, as well as kidney damage. HoLEP is used to treat men with these and other bothersome urinary symptoms caused by BPH. In the procedure, a laser is used to remove the excess prostate tissue that presses against the urethra, allowing the urethra to open more fully, thereby improving urine flow. “HoLEP is a minimally invasive procedure that can be used to treat patients with any size prostate,” says Yale Medicine urologist Daniel Kellner, MD. “It is also effective in treating patients who have already failed other less effective procedures.”