[Post-Operative Urethral Stricture after Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate]

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a safe and effective surgical procedure for patients suffering from comparatively larger benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, the rate of postoperative urethral stricture (POUS) is relatively high, which can render further invasive intervention. Here we assessed the POUS rate, riskfactors and outcomes in 206 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who underwent HoLEP at our hospital between January 2006 and December 2015. POUS was observed in 24 patients (11.7%). The rate of intraoperative urethral stricture was significantly higher in the patients with POUS (8 out of 24 patients, 33.3%) than in those without POUS (12 out of 186 patients, 6.6%). The odds ratio was 7.08, 95% and combination index (CI) was 2.53-19.9, p<0.001). The relative riskfor POUS based on intraoperative urethral stricture was 4.65 (95% CI : 2.28-9.48). The most common POUS site was external urethral orifice (12 out of 24 cases). The POUS onset was significantly earlier in patients with external urethral orifice than the other sites (p=0.0389). The site of postoperative stricture concurred with that of intraoperative stricture at a high rate (7 out of 8 patients). Significant differences were observed between patients with and without POUS within one month in international prostate symptom score, quality of life score and in Qmax after the operation, while they were improved by simple interventions such as bougie. In conclusion, we should consider the possibility of POUS when the patient had an intraoperative stricture in HoLEP.