Better Stream: HOLEP Laser Surgery for Treating Urinary Symptoms of BPH with Amy Krambeck, MD

In this episode, we discuss a type of laser surgery called HOLEP as an option for men with urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate – a condition called BPH that we discussed in a previous episode. Historically, when men either no longer benefited from prostate medication or could not tolerate the side effects of these medications, the next step would be a TURP surgery, otherwise known as the “Roto-Rooter”. Recently, however, new surgical options have been developed which are believed to provide results that are similar to or better than TURP and that are potentially safer and have less side effects. One of these newer procedures is a laser surgery called HOLEP which stands for holmium enucleation of the prostate. Joining us to help us better understand the risks and benefits of HOLEP is Dr Amy Krambeck. Dr Krambeck is a Professor of Urology at Northwestern Medical in Chicago, Illinois. Her Urology residency was completed at the Mayo Clinic in 2008 and she subsequently completed an Endourology fellowship at the Methodist Institute for Kidney Stone Research in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr Krambeck worked as an endourologist at the Mayo Clinic from 2009-2016 at which time she joined the staff at Indiana University and ran the benign urologic diseases division until 2020. Dr Krambeck specializes in the surgical and medical management of stone disease and BPH and has performed approximately 3000 HOLEP procedures. Who better to help us understand this procedure. And now, without further ado, I bring you our conversation with Dr Amy Krambeck about HOLEP as a surgical option for BPH.