Benign prostate hyperplasia over 150cm3: Should we perform an endoscopic enucleation of the prostate or robotic-assisted simple prostatectomy?

Abstract

Introduction: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent condition in ageing men, often resulting in significant lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that impact quality of life. For patients with huge prostate volumes (>150mL), surgical management presents challenges. Traditionally, open simple prostatectomy (OSP) was the gold standard; however, minimally invasive approaches such as robotic-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate (EEP), especially holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), offer similar or superior outcomes with reduced morbidity.

Methods: This review analyzed studies comparing the perioperative, functional, and complication outcomes of RASP and HoLEP in treating very large prostates (>150mL). A comprehensive literature search was performed to evaluate evidence on surgical efficacy, complication rates, and recovery profiles.

Results: Both RASP and HoLEP demonstrated excellent perioperative outcomes, with HoLEP providing reduced operative time and hospital stays. HoLEP also showed lower blood loss and a reduced need for transfusions, while RASP offered advantages in terms of precision and surgeon control, especially for anatomically complex cases. Functional outcomes, including improvement in urinary flow and symptom scores, were comparable between the two techniques. However, complications such as transient incontinence were more commonly reported with HoLEP.

Conclusion: Both RASP and HoLEP are effective and safe for the management of very large prostates. HoLEP offers significant advantages in perioperative recovery and reduced morbidity, whereas RASP provides excellent outcomes in complex cases requiring precise dissection. The choice between these techniques should be guided by patient-specific factors and surgical expertise. Future studies should focus on long-term functional outcomes to refine surgical recommendations further.

Keywords: Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Endoscopic surgery; Lower urinary tracts symptoms; Robotic surgery.