HoLEP Education and training

Are you a urologist looking to learn HoLEP? Contact kznuro@gmail.com to discuss your options.

What is HoLEP?

HoLEP stands for Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate. This is an effective surgical therapy to relieve the symptoms of and prevent complications related to an enlarged prostate, which is otherwise know as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH).

HoLEP is recommended as being equivalent or even superior in outcomes when compared to other traditional prostate surgeries, such as TURP and Open Prostatectomy.

A HoLEP trained urologist uses a holmium laser to endoscopically enucleate the enlarged prostate gland from its capsule, removing the entire enlarged portion, as opposed to scraping away parts of the gland. It is then dropped into the bladder and removed using a morcellator.

This tissue is then sent to the lab for further analysis. The patient’s bladder is irrigated for several hours before he is discharged to recover in the comfort of his home.

What Are the Advantages of HoLEP?

It is recognised internationally as being the future of benign prostate surgery, and is performed as a first choice procedure in most parts of the world where it is available.

It is a minimally invasive procedure.
Minimal bleeding and minimal morbidity.
Significantly reduced hospital stay (less than 24 hours in hospital), with most cases being done as day cases.
HoLEP can be performed on any size gland, there is no ‘upper limit’, thus there is no need for one to ever again have open prostate surgery for an enlarged prostate gland.
HoLEP has a more durable long-term outcome than other minimally invasive prostate surgery techniques.

Dr Bugwandin’s Experience With HoLEP

Dr Bugwandin is currently the most experienced HoLEP surgeon/urologist in Southern Africa. He first observed HoLEP and performed a partial HoLEP in 2013.

He completed a Masterclass in Lasers and Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate in 2014, under the auspices of the Holmium Academy and the UK Holmium User Group.

He introduced HoLEP into South Africa, along with Dr Amit Kalpee, in 2017/2018 and has routinely performed HoLEP since then at St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.

Dr Bugwandin now also performs elective HoLEP surgery in Durban on a weekly basis. He has performed hundreds of such surgeries with favourable outcomes, and has matched the best international standards by cutting hospital stays and theatre case duration to match the best facilities in the world.

Dr Bugwandin has also been a HoLEP proctor/trainer since 2019, and has trained urologists around South Africa, Botswana and Namibia in performing HoLEP.