ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficiency and safety of the modified versus conventional morcellation procedure in holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).

METHODSWe treated 195 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by HoLEP, using conventional morcellation for 100 cases and modified morcellation for the other 95. We recorded the morcellation time, the total volume of resected tissue, the rate of morcellation, and associated complications, and compared the data obtained between the two groups.

RESULTSThe volumes of resected tissue were similar between the conventional and modified morcellation groups (［72.3±19.8］ vs ［71.1±17.7］ g, P>0.05). The morcellation time was significantly longer in the conventional than in the modified morcellation group (［12.8±2.8］ vs ［8.5±2.0］ min, P<0.01), and the morcellation rate was remarkably lower in the former than in the latter (［4.9±1.4］ vs ［7.1±0.9］ g/min, P<0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed in the incidence of complications, bladder injury for instance, between the two groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONSThe modified morcellation procedure can be used for mocellation of various types of tissue, with a higher efficiency than the conventional technique, and therefore deserves wide clinical application.