Clinical Comparison of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate and Bipolar Transurethral Enucleation of the Prostate in Patients Under Either Anticoagulation or Antiplatelet Therapy

Background: A significant number of patients who require surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia are under either anticoagulation (AC) or antiplatelet (AP) therapy. Objective: To assess the efficacy and morbidity of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and bipolar transurethral enucleation of the prostate (B-TUEP) in patients who required AC/AP therapy. Design, setting, and participants: This study included 296 (67.6%) and 142 (32.4%) patients who underwent HoLEP and B-TUEP, respectively. The AC/AP group included patients whose AP therapy was not interrupted pre-, peri-, and/or postoperatively, and patients who underwent perioperative AC therapy bridging with low-molecular-weight heparin. Intervention: HoLEP and B-TUEP. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: We tested the hypothesis that AC/AP therapy had a limited impact on the efficacy of HoLEP and B-TUEP. To adjust for potential baseline confounders, propensity-score matching was performed. Clinical characteristics were compared among groups using the Kruskal-Wallis or chi-square test. Logistic regression analyses tested the association between clinical variables and the odds of Clavien-Dindo ≥2 complications after surgery. Results and limitations: Overall, 28 (9.5%) and 46 (15.5%) patients in the HoLEP group and 15 (10.5%) and 24 (16.9%) men in the B-TUEP group had AC and AP therapy, respectively (p=0.9). HoLEP patients under either AC or AP therapy deserved longer catheter maintenance and a longer hospital stay (HS) than those without AC/AP therapy (all p≤0.01). Operative time, rates of postoperative complications, and 2-mo International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) were similar between patients with and without AC/CP. Among B-TUEP patients, HS was longer (p=0.03) and the rate of complications was higher (p<0.001) in patients under AC or AP therapy. Postoperative haemoglobin drop and 2-mo IPSS were similar among groups and surgical techniques. Limitations are the retrospective nature of the study, and the lack of long-term complications and functional outcomes. Conclusions: HoLEP and B-TUEP can safely be performed in patients deserving continuous AP/AC therapy with only a slight increase in HS and catheterisation time. Patient summary: We assessed the safety and efficacy of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and bipolar transurethral enucleation of the prostate (B-TUEP) in men under chronic anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy. Both HoLEP and B-TUEP could safely be performed as minimally invasive treatment options in this subset of patients at a high risk of bleeding from benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery.