Objective: We examined the relationship between morcellation efficiency and enucleated tissue weight in holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) retrospectively.
Methods: From January to December 2010, 140 patients with BPH were treated by HoLEP combined with mechanical morcellation with up side down technique by a single surgeon.
Results: The mean age was 70.6 years, and the mean enucleated tissue weight was 46.8 g. The mean morcellation time was 9.9 min, and the mean rate of morcellation was 6.7 g/min. No complications were reported relating to morcellation such as bladder injury. Although morcellation time and enucleated tissue weigh were proportionally related (Estimate equation: Y = - 1.186 + 0.813 * X, R^2: 0.814), larger glands with more than 80 g of tissue enucleated did not match this distribution map. Five cases with more than 100 g of enucleated tissue weight required much longer operation time (range 66-90 min) and were disproportioned to tissue weight. Morcellation efficiency tended to decrease when enucleated tissue weight exceeds 80 g and less than average in almost all cases. Morcellation efficiency significantly worsen when enucleated tissue weight exceeds more than 100 g.
Conclusions: Morcellation efficency may decrease in larger gland exceeds 80 g.