Holmium laser therapy new standard for treating BHP

A new research has suggested that holmium laser therapy is a safe and durable treatment option for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) - an enlargement of the prostate that affects most men as they age.

The study, conducted by researchers from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), is the longest comprehensive assessment of this technology to date, and researchers suggested that it may now safely be considered the new, size independent, gold standard for treatment of BPH.

The study, which looked at the durability of outcomes of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) in nearly 1,000 patients over 10 years, demonstrated that complication rates are minimal and the need for further treatment, even up to a decade later, is less than 1%, compared to 10-16% with TURP.

"Patients treated with HoLEP also have reduced pain and shorter hospital stays than those who undergo an open surgery," said Dr. Mostafa Elhilali, Stephen Jarislowsky Chair of Urology at McGill University, urologist at the MUHC and lead author of the new study.

"They are often able to resume normal activities within a week and have few to no sexual side effects," added Elhilal.

The researchers point out that HoLEP is more effective at adequately treating all sizes of prostatic enlargement, whereas other laser techniques, such as Green Light Laser, is effective on small to moderate size prostates, similar but not better than TURP and lacks the same long-term durability.

The research was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Urology Association (AUA) in Washington, DC.