HoLEP for Prostate Obstruction

Overseen By Allaa Fadl-Alla, BS

Age: 18+

Sex: Male

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northwestern University

Disqualifiers: Prostates over 200g, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 3 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: 1 day

300 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests different laser settings for Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP), a procedure that treats urinary issues from an enlarged prostate. Researchers aim to determine if adjusting the laser settings can speed up the procedure or reduce post-surgery symptoms. The trial includes three groups, each undergoing the procedure with a different laser frequency. Men with bothersome urinary symptoms from an enlarged prostate may qualify, provided their prostate is not over 200g. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to innovative research that could enhance future treatment options.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the HoLEP trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this technique is safe for prostate obstruction?

Research has shown that Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) is generally a safe treatment option. One study found that HoLEP effectively treats prostate blockage with a low risk of bleeding. Participants in this study experienced significant improvements in their symptoms and quality of life after the procedure.

However, another study reported a higher rate of side effects with HoLEP compared to some other treatments. These side effects can include temporary urinary issues or changes in sexual function. Despite this, multiple studies agree that HoLEP is both effective and safe for most patients.

For those considering joining a trial, these studies suggest that HoLEP is well-tolerated and can significantly help with prostate issues, although some temporary side effects may occur. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) for prostate obstruction because it offers a minimally invasive approach compared to traditional surgical methods like Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). HoLEP uses precise laser technology to remove obstructive prostate tissue, which can lead to reduced bleeding, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery times. This trial compares different laser energy settings (2J 40hz, 2J 50hz, and 2J 60hz), aiming to optimize the procedure's effectiveness and safety. By refining these settings, researchers hope to enhance patient outcomes and further distinguish HoLEP from conventional treatments.

What evidence suggests that these laser settings for HoLEP could be effective for prostate obstruction?

Research shows that Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) safely and effectively treats an enlarged prostate, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Studies have found that HoLEP achieves similar results to traditional surgery but with less blood loss and faster recovery. This minimally invasive procedure involves less cutting and reduces the risk of blood dilution. HoLEP is also effective for larger prostates, offering benefits like shorter catheter use and reduced hospital stays. Patients have experienced successful long-term results, with a low chance of symptoms returning. In this trial, participants will undergo the HoLEP procedure with different laser settings—2J 40hz, 2J 50hz, and 2J 60hz—to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these variations. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Amy Krambeck, MD

Principal Investigator

Northwestern University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with prostate obstruction or urological diseases who are candidates for HoLEP, a laser treatment to remove prostate tissue. Specific eligibility criteria aren't provided, but typically participants would need to be suitable for the procedure.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a man aged 18-89 getting HoLEP for urinary issues due to an enlarged prostate.

Exclusion Criteria

I am unable to make my own medical decisions.

Prostate measurements over 200g

Non-English speakers

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants undergo Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate with varying laser settings (2J 40hz, 2J 50hz, 2J 60hz) to assess the impact on procedural time and postoperative outcomes

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the procedure, focusing on postoperative outcomes and irritative voiding symptoms

2 years

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP)

Trial Overview The study tests different laser settings during HoLEP procedures to find out if higher or lower settings affect the surgery time and postoperative outcomes like irritative voiding symptoms without causing harm.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: 2J 60hz Laser Energy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients will under go their Holmium Laser Enucleation procedure with the laser setting: 2J 60hz

Group II: 2J 50hz Laser Energy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients will under go their Holmium Laser Enucleation procedure with the laser setting: 2J 50hz

Group III: 2J 40hz Laser Energy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Patients will under go their Holmium Laser Enucleation procedure with the laser setting: 2J 40hz

Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) is already approved in United States, Canada, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as HoLEP for:

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Approved in Canada as HoLEP for:

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Approved in European Union as HoLEP for:

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northwestern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,674

Recruited

989,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a safe and effective alternative to traditional surgeries like transurethral resection and open prostatectomy for treating lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic enlargement, with low complication rates and minimal need for reintervention.

Long-term follow-up data indicate that HoLEP provides durable functional results, making it a recommended treatment option regardless of prostate size.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate and holmium laser ablation of the prostate: indications and outcome. Suardi, N., Gallina, A., Salonia, A., et al.[2008]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a minimally invasive procedure with a low complication rate, as evidenced by a study of 206 patients where no major complications or deaths occurred, and only 1% required postoperative transfusions.

Most patients (86.9%) were discharged after an overnight stay without a catheter, indicating a quick recovery, with long-term follow-up showing manageable complications such as a 2.4% rate of urethral strictures and bladder neck contractures.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate: morbidity in a series of 206 patients. Kuo, RL., Paterson, RF., Siqueira, TM., et al.[2019]

In a study of 1,396 men undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for lower urinary tract symptoms, the en-bloc technique showed significantly fewer adverse events compared to the traditional 3-lobe method, indicating improved safety.

The en-bloc method was also more efficient, requiring less laser energy and resulting in shorter enucleation times, while maintaining effective symptom relief and functional outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy, Efficiency, and Safety of En-bloc vs Three-lobe Enucleation of the Prostate: A Propensity Score-matched Analysis. Tamalunas, A., Schott, M., Keller, P., et al.[2023]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a safe and effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, showing significant improvements in urinary symptoms and urodynamic parameters across 190 patients studied.

As surgeons gain experience, the operative time decreases and the rate of complications, such as bladder mucosal injury and urinary incontinence, also declines, indicating that even inexperienced surgeons can perform HoLEP with acceptable safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate: the safety, efficacy, and learning experience in China. Du, C., Jin, X., Bai, F., et al.[2016]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is more effective than transurethral prostate resection (TURP) in terms of reducing catheter time (17.7 hours vs 44.9 hours) and hospital stay (27.6 hours vs 49.9 hours), making it a more efficient option for patients.

While HoLEP takes longer to perform than TURP (62.1 minutes vs 33.1 minutes), it removes more prostate tissue (40.4 grams vs 24.7 grams) and shows similar improvements in urinary symptoms and flow rates at 12 months post-surgery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized trial comparing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate with transurethral resection of the prostate for the treatment of bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia in large glands (40 to 200 grams). Tan, AH., Gilling, PJ., Kennett, KM., et al.[2017]

Holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) both improve urinary flow rates similarly after 6 and 12 months, indicating comparable efficacy in treating prostatic obstruction.

HoLEP offers significant advantages over TURP, including less blood loss, shorter catheterization time, and shorter hospital stays, while maintaining a similar safety profile regarding adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Meta-analysis of holmium laser enucleation versus transurethral resection of the prostate for symptomatic prostatic obstruction. Tan, A., Liao, C., Mo, Z., et al.[2007]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is effective for treating bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), showing excellent outcomes across a wide range of patients, including those on anticoagulation and with previous surgeries.

HoLEP has a low immediate complication rate and rare instances of incontinence, although retrograde ejaculation occurs in about 75% of patients; it also has a lower retreatment rate compared to other BPH procedures, indicating its long-term effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: Patient Selection and Outcomes. Kuebker, JM., Miller, NL.[2018]

In a study of 280 patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), the procedure was successfully completed in 95.7% of cases, indicating a high success rate and safety profile.

The overall incidence of complications was low, with most being minor and manageable, such as transient urinary incontinence in 10.7% of patients, which resolved spontaneously in all but two cases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peri-operative complications of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate: experience in the first 280 patients, and a review of literature. Shah, HN., Mahajan, AP., Hegde, SS., et al.[2019]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a safe and effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, showing significant improvements in International Prostate Symptom Scores and quality of life after an average follow-up of 32.4 months.

The procedure resulted in fewer complications and faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery, with a low incidence of serious complications and an average hospital stay of just 3.1 days.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Report of 3162 cases of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate and review]. Liu, QG., Li, X., Ma, WQ., et al.[2013]

In a study of 600 patients undergoing Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for benign prostate hyperplasia, significant improvements in functional outcomes were observed at 1, 3, and 6 months post-surgery, indicating the procedure's efficacy.

The complication rates were comparable to existing literature, with only one case of persistent stress urinary incontinence, suggesting that HoLEP is a safe and effective alternative to traditional transurethral resection of the prostate.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate for the treatment of size-independent BPH: A single-center experience of 600 cases. Yalçın, S., Yılmaz, S., Gazel, E., et al.[2020]

Citations

1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18930490/

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate--outcomes ... Conclusions: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0302283805005191

Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) HoLEP is a safe and effective treatment of symptomatic large prostate with no dilutional hyponatremia, minimal blood loss, short catheterization time, hospital ...

3. hopkinsmedicine.org hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-bph/prostate-holmium-laser-enucleation-holep

HoLEP Procedure: Holmium Laser Enucleation of the ... In terms of effectiveness, practitioners report that holmium laser enucleation of the prostate has results comparable to those of simple prostatectomy but does ...

4. auajournals.org auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/JU.0000000000004297

Comparative Analysis of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the ... HoLEP and RASP are effective for managing BPH. HoLEP shows advantages in recovery metrics and lower blood transfusion rates, while RASP benefits from ease of ...

5. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34694647/

Long-term outcomes of Holmium laser enucleation ... We aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes, symptom recurrence rate, and predictors in patients that underwent HoLEP.

6. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/cur/fulltext/2025/01000/holmium_laser_enucleation_of_the_prostate_versus.2.aspx

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate versus... Conclusions. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety, with fewer hematological changes and complications; however, ...

7. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29275506/

12-month results from a prospective low-power HoLEP series Purpose: To analyze the 12-month outcomes of low-powered holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (LP-HoLEP) for patients with symptomatic benign prostatic ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287888225000078

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of holmium laser ... Compared with PAE, HoLEP provides superior efficacy yet is associated with less preservation of sexual function and a higher rate of adverse events.

9. jurolsurgery.org jurolsurgery.org/articles/safety-and-efficacy-of-holmium-laser-enucleation-of-the-prostate-holep-in-patients-requiring-anticoagulantsantiplatelets-a-retrospective-study/jus.galenos.2022.2022.0062

Safety and Efficacy of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the ... HoLEP is a safe and effective surgery that improves functional parameters in benign prostatic obstruction patients requiring AC/AP, with low bleeding ...