The LEST technique: Treatment of prostatic obstruction preserving antegrade ejaculation in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

The objective of this study was to search for an alternative technique to relieve prostatic obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia without affecting the ejaculatory function. The technical requirements are a laser with a wavelength well absorbed by water (good vaporizing effect) and at the same time by hemoglobin (good hemostatic effect) and laser fibers very resistant at high emission power allowing perfect vaporization in a contact mode. The aim of the technique is to avoid damage of the structures that allow the peripheral region of the prostate and the seminal vesicles to discharge their secretions into the posterior urethra. The orifices of the ejaculatory ducts must therefore be identified and preserved, damage of the ejaculatory ducts along their path inside the prostate must be avoided and the so called “genital sphincter” must be saved. The steps of the Leonardi Ejaculation Sparing Technique (LEST) procedure are as follow: Step 1 - ejaculatory duct orifices must be identified and the limits of the vaporization section must be marked. Step 2 - bladder neck is cleaned of the prostate hypertrophic tissue saving, as much as possible, the smooth muscle fibers of the bladder neck. Step 3 - vapo-resection of the lateral lobe (or enucleation of the adenoma) is performed. Step 4 - cautious and meticulous preparation of the prostatic apexes is obtained with saving of the orifices of the ejaculatory ducts. An antegrade ejaculation is maintained in about 80% of cases in patients without a middle lobe, although in the presence of a middle lobe this rate drops to about 50%.