Comparison of different en bloc holmium laser enucleation of the prostate techniques to reduce the rate of postoperative transient urinary incontinence

Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate: Is novel En Bloc Enucleation Technique Better Than the Traditional 2-Lobe Technique-A Prospective Randomized Study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the safety and efficacy of the en bloc technique with the standard 2-lobe technique for holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).

METHODS

This prospective study included patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent HoLEP from September 2020 to March 2022, by en bloc or 2-lobe technique. Patient demographics, prostate volume, enucleation, morcellation and operative time, and incidence of postoperative incontinence were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

We included 64 patients (30 en bloc and 34 2-lobe techniques) who underwent HoLEP in this study. The mean age, prostate volume, creatinine, and PSA of patients were comparable in both groups [(68.53 vs. 67.55 years; P=.62), (79.43 vs. 79.88 g, P=.92), (1.08 mg/dL vs. 1.20 mg/dL, P=.35), (3.78 vs. 4.63 ng/mL; P=.376), respectively]. The enucleation time was significantly shorter in the en bloc group than in the 2-lobe group (54.2 vs. 61.67; P=.03). Additionally, the mean operative time was also comparatively shorter in the en bloc group than the 2-lobe group (72.36 vs. 80.50; P=.057). The improvement in the quality-of-life (QoL) score was significantly better with en bloc than the 2-lobe group (3.80 vs. 2.11; P=.01). There was a significant difference in stress urinary incontinence on days 1, 7, and 30 (P .001) with en bloc compared to the two-lobe technique.

CONCLUSION

Although the outcomes of en bloc and 2-lobe endoscopic enucleation of prostate techniques were comparable, the en bloc technique seems to be a better option in most patients undergoing HoLEP due to less enucleation and operative time and lowered stress urinary incontinence incidence.