Patient Advice Following Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP)
This operation aims to treat prostate enlargement. Your surgeon will do this by using a laser to remove part of the prostate that is blocking your urine flow.
Bleeding
At home you may still see blood in your urine. This is normal and can last for a few weeks. As with any wounds, scabs form and eventually drop off, causing minor bleeding. If this happens, you should drink plenty of fluids to dilute any blood that is present. If the bleeding is heavy, or lasts for more than 48 hours you should contact your GP.
Pain
It is advisable to take pain relief such as paracetamol regularly. Always follow the instructions on the side of the packet and do not exceed the recommended daily dose.
General advice
Drink plenty of fluids (2-3 litres per day) for the next few days.
You may have a catheter. This will be removed by the district nurses on ………………. You will be given advice on how to manage your catheter at home with supplies provided.
When the catheter has been removed you may experience some difficulties. For example, you might need to pass urine frequently and urgently. You may also experience some dribbling. This is normal and is nothing to worry about. It occurs because it takes time for the area operated on to recover.
Please contact urgent care or go to the Emergency Department if:
- If you are unable to pass urine
- Have heavy bleeding or passing large clots
- Have severe pain that doesn’t settle.
Please contact your GP or out of hours service. If you experience increasing frequency of needing to pass urine, increased pain while passing urine, or you develop a temperature, there is a possibility you may have a urine infection. You may be asked to provide a urine sample and if necessary take a course of antibiotics.
Activity
Rest well for the first few days because the procedure and anaesthetic can often leave you feeling tired.
Strenuous exercise such as gardening, decorating, heavy lifting, golf, and cycling should be avoided for two weeks. You should gradually increase your level of activity after that. The speed of recovery will vary from patient to patient, but as a general guide between four to six weeks is seen as normal.
You should not drive for the first 24 hours which is a requirement of the Road Traffic Act. Driving is best avoided for two weeks after the operation, but you may travel as a passenger in a car immediately. Travelling for long distances should best be avoided until you have completely recovered.
Your own circumstances will determine when you go back to work. A week should normally be enough, depending on the heaviness of your workload.
You may resume sexual intercourse when your urine is clear and when you feel comfortable.
There is a possible risk of semen not produced because it passes back into your bladder on ejaculation (retrograde ejaculation).
Contact information
We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak to the following staff:
GP or out of hours GP
NHS Direct 111
Dorchester Day Surgery Unit: 01305 254501 (day of procedure only)
Lulworth Ward: 01305 255471 (after 7pm/8pm)
Abbotsbury Ward: 01305 255150 (after 7pm/8pm)
Urology Nurse Specialist: 01305 255415
Consultant Urological Surgeons
Mr N Afzal 01305 255468
Mr R David 01305 255274
Miss F New 01305 255470
Mr R Blegay 01305 255468
Mr M Bajwa 01305 255274
Mr Q Chaudry 01305 255274
If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk
About this leaflet
Author: Kayleigh Fairchild, Deputy Sister
Written: October 2025
Approved: February 2026
Review date: February 2029
Edition: v1