HoLEP treatment relieves enlarged prostates

By the time they reach 50 years old, 30 to 50 percent of men will experience benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, also known as an enlarged prostate. It can be debilitating and make it almost impossible for these men to urinate. If left untreated, the prostate will continue to grow, along with the problem. Now a new treatment is helping to clear the way and get these men going again.

The pain, discomfort, and helplessness that Jason Horvath was feeling are the same symptoms millions of men experience each year due to an enlarged prostate.

“I couldn’t work. I couldn’t function. I could not empty my bladder. I was in dire straits,” Horvath exclaimed.

Urologist Marawan El Tayeb stated, “Prostate problems can be pretty serious. It starts with mild symptoms. It can seriously progress into urinal retention and cause an inability to urinate. After that, it can progress to renal failure.”

Dr. El Tayeb sees up to 20 men a day suffering from BPH. The first line of treatment is medication. If that doesn’t work, doctors progress to minimally-invasive treatments, and one of the newest, most effective procedures is the HoLEP—a type of laser surgery used to open any blockages and remove the enlarged prostate tissue.

“If you can imagine, the prostate is like an orange with the peel outside and the fruit inside. Basically, we go around the fruit, taking it out of the peel and leave the patient with a very nice open channel for them to urinate,” Dr. El Tayeb explained.

Seventy percent of patients leave the hospital the same day and 95 percent will have the catheter removed the following day.

“So, the patient will feel the benefit as soon as the catheter comes out. They will start feeling that they are much better. The stream is much better, and they will feel immediate benefit,” Dr. El Tayeb added.

Some possible, but rare side effects include temporary burning or bleeding during urination and urinary incontinence immediately after surgery. An enlarged prostate can be caused by BPH but also can be caused by prostate cancer, which affects one in six men in the United States. That’s why it’s very important to get a PSA test and a possible biopsy before treatment.