HoLEP Prostate Treatment

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An enlarged prostate can make you feel controlled by your bladder. You need to urinate too much. Or you find it hard to urinate when you need to. If medicines and other treatments have failed to help, the HoLEP prostate treatment could bring you relief.  

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is when the prostate grows from its normal walnut-size to sometimes the size of a grapefruit. You’ll need treatment if this condition blocks urine flow. It can lead to serious issues like:

  • Urinary tract infections
  • Bladder stones
  • Kidney failure, in rare cases

HoLEP can help you avoid or fix these long-term problems.

The Benefits of HoLEP

Compared to other surgeries, HoLEP is unique. We can use it to take out a large amount of prostate tissue without making a single cut. This means that the HoLEP procedure reduces:

  • Your risk of bleeding
  • The need for blood transfusions during surgery
  • How long you need to stay in the hospital (just 1 or 2 days)
  • The need to repeat treatment

HoLEP Prostate Treatment at UVA

When you come to UVA, you can trust you’ll get options for care you can’t find everywhere. As an academic research center, we stay at the forefront of the most advanced treatments.

Many places don’t offer HoLEP. They don’t have the training required for this challenging procedure. At UVA, we have extensive experience in performing HoLEP.

How Does HoLEP Work?

HoLEP is short for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. This refers to the type of laser we use to cut and remove tissue that’s blocking the flow of urine. We access your prostate through your urethra, the tube that urine flows through. This allows us to avoid making any cuts to your body.

Who May Need HoLEP?

HoLEP works for men with very large prostates when other treatments don’t work.

This procedure isn’t right for you if you:

  • Have bleeding problems
  • Have had certain types of prostate cancer surgery or radiation
  • Can’t lie on your back with your legs raised, a necessary position during the procedure

Added Bonus: Uncovering Cancer

BPH is not related to cancer. But 5-15% of the time, we find cancer in the removed prostate tissue. We can then treat your prostate cancer.