OBJECTIVE To evaluate, in a prospective study, the complications in 280 patients undergoing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) at our institution, and to review previous reports to determine the overall incidence and types of various complications, and analyse their causes and means of prevention. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analysed the patients’ demographic, peri‐operative and follow‐up data, and the complications during and after surgery. RESULTS HoLEP was completed successfully in 268 patients (95.7%); eight required conversion to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) during the initial experience. The morcellation device and laser malfunctioned in two patients each. A blood transfusion was required during HoLEP in one patient; other complications included capsular perforation (9.6%), superficial bladder mucosal injury (3.9%) and ureteric orifice injury (2.1%). A blood transfusion was needed after HoLEP in 1.4% of patients and cystoscopy with clot evacuation in 0.7%. Transient urinary incontinence was the commonest complication after HoLEP, in 10.7% of patients, but recovered spontaneously in all except two (0.7%). Other rare complications were re‐catheterization (3.9%), urinary tract infection (3.2%), epididymitis (0.7%), meatal and submeatal stenosis (2.5%), bulbar urethral stricture (2.1%), bladder neck contracture (0.35%) and myocardial infarction (0.35%). CONCLUSIONS There was a low incidence of complications with HoLEP; most were minor and easily managed. Our results are comparable with those published previously, and establish HoLEP as safe and reproducible procedure. While gaining experience, HoLEP can be converted to TURP with no harm to the patient.

An endourologist inexperienced with holmium laser prostate enucleation can perform the procedure with reasonable efficiency after about 50 cases with an outcome comparable to that of experts, as described in the literature. During the learning curve conversion to transurethral prostate resection can be done without any harm to the patient.

Tubeless PCNL offers the potential advantages of decreased postoperative pain, analgesic requirement, and hospital stay without increasing the complications. It was associated with stent-related discomfort in 39% of patients.

morbidity were analysed. Previous reports were reviewed to evaluate the current status of tubeless PCNL. RESULTSOf the 46 patients initially considered only 40 (45 renal units) were assessed. The mean stone size in these patients was 33 mm and 23 patients had multiple stones. Three patients had a serum creatinine level of > 2 mg/dL ( > 177 m mol/L). Five patients had successful bilateral simultaneous tubeless PCNL. In all, 51 tracts were required in 45 renal units, 30 of which were supracostal. The mean decrease in haemoglobin was 1.2 g/dL and two patients required a blood transfusion after PCNL. There was no urine leakage or formation of urinoma after surgery, and no major chest complications in patients requiring a supracostal access tract, except for one with hydrothorax, managed conservatively. The mean hospital stay was 26 h and analgesic requirement 40.6 mg of diclofenac. Stones were completely cleared in 87% of renal units and 9% had residual fragments of < 5 mm. Two patients required extracorporeal lithotripsy for residual calculi. In all, 30% of patients had bothersome stentrelated symptoms and 60% needed analgesics and/or antispasmodics to treat them. CONCLUSIONTubeless PCNL was safe and effective even in patients with a solitary kidney, or with three renal access tracts or supracostal access, or with deranged renal values and in those requiring bilateral simultaneous PCNL. The literature review suggested a need for prospective, randomized studies to evaluate the role of fibrin sealant and/or cauterization of the nephrostomy tract in tubeless PCNL.

OBJECTIVE To analyse the effect of prostate size on the outcome of holmium laser enucleation of prostate (HoLEP, an established procedure for treating symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy, BPH), in the initial 354 patients at 1 year of follow‐up. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 354 patients who had HoLEP at our institution from April 2003 to March 2007. In 235 patients the prostate weighed <60 g (group 1), in 77 it weighed 60–100 g (group 2) and in 42 >100 g (group 3). Demographic data and perioperative variables were recorded and compared among the three groups. RESULTS The mean prostate size was 38.1, 76.4 and 133.5 g for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively (P < 0.001), and the respective mean weight of resected prostate was 18.47, 40.8 and 82.76 g, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean procedure efficiency increased from 0.36 g/min in group 1 to 0.49 g/min in group 2 and 0.58 g/min in group 3 (P < 0.001). The decrease in haemoglobin level after HoLEP was greater in group 3 than in the other groups. Overall, HoLEP resulted in a 75% reduction in American Urologic Association symptom score, a 225% increase in peak urinary flow rate and an 86% decrease in postvoid residual urine volume at 1 year of follow‐up. Perioperative complications were evenly distributed among the three groups, except for a higher incidence of superficial bladder mucosal injury and stenotic complications in group 3. CONCLUSIONS HoLEP is a safe and effective procedure for treating symptomatic BPH, independent of prostate size, and is associated with low morbidity. The efficiency of HoLEP increases with increasing prostate size.