Surgical volume increased significantly after adoption of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, with no change in catchment area
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Introducing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia increases surgical volume in urology practices, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of Biological Methods.
Ankur U. Choksi, M.D., from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of electronic health records 30 months before and after introduction of HoLEP to examine the practice ramification of adoption.
During a period of five years, 4,390 unique patients were seen: 2,052 before and 2,338 after the introduction of HoLEP. The researchers found no statistically significant change in the mean distance from patients’ residence ZIP codes to treatment center (pre-HoLEP, 32.52 ± 152.42 miles; post-HoLEP, 29.65 ± 141.79 miles). Among those who underwent HoLEP, patients residing in the same county and those coming from different counties had comparable prostate sizes (96.42 ± 3.24 cc versus 104.52 ± 4.34 cc). There was an increase in surgical volume from 355 to 1,018 cases, with a concordant increase in other benign prostatic hyperplasia-related surgeries, marked by an inflection point at introduction of HoLEP.
“These findings support the need for HoLEP implementation among urologists, especially for those looking to increase surgical volume and treat individuals with larger prostates within their current patient population,” the authors write.
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