Switching Lasers: Assessing the learning curves of surgeons with di7erent surgical experience when switching from HoLEP to pulsed Thulium YAG lasers for ThuLEP - Summary - MDSpire

Switching Lasers: Assessing the learning curves of surgeons with di7erent surgical experience when switching from HoLEP to pulsed Thulium YAG lasers for ThuLEP

  • By

  • Stadelmeier, Leo Federico

  • Berger, Laurenz

  • Nicola, Philip

  • Weinhold, Philipp

  • Marcon, Julian

  • Atzler, Michael

  • Volz, Yannic

  • Pyrgidis, Nikolaos

  • Papadopoulos, Iason

  • Hennenberg, Martin

  • Stief, Christian Georg

  • Keller, Patrick M.

  • Tamalunas, Alexander

  • March 18, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To assess the learning curves associated with pulsed Thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) among surgeons with varying levels of experience in Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) specifically for treating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Key Findings:
  • Postoperative functional outcomes were comparable across all surgeon experience levels, highlighting the significance of the learning curves.
  • The highly experienced surgeon achieved proficiency approximately twice as quickly as the moderately experienced surgeon.
  • Surgeons with prior HoLEP experience reached performance plateaus in enucleation efficiency and time roughly twice as quickly.
  • Training a novice surgeon in ThuLEP was feasible and safe within a structured program.
Interpretation:

Pulsed ThuLEP demonstrates a learning curve similar to HoLEP for inexperienced surgeons when following a structured training program, indicating that transitioning between laser systems is both safe and feasible for experienced surgeons.

Limitations:
  • The study only included a small sample size of three surgeons, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
  • Results may not be generalizable to all surgical settings or populations, and potential biases or confounding factors should be considered.
Conclusion:

Pulsed ThuLEP is a viable option for surgeons transitioning from HoLEP, with a structured training program facilitating the learning process.

Original Source(s)

Switching Lasers: Assessing the learning curves of surgeons with di7erent surgical experience when switching from HoLEP to pulsed Thulium YAG lasers for ThuLEP

  • by Stadelmeier, Leo Federico, Berger, Laurenz , Nicola, Philip , Weinhold, Philipp , Marcon, Julian , Atzler, Michael , Volz, Yannic , Pyrgidis, Nikolaos , Papadopoulos, Iason , Hennenberg, Martin , Stief, Christian Georg, Keller, Patrick M., Tamalunas, Alexander

  • March 18, 2026

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