Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) accompanied by acute urinary retention (AUR). Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 236 BPH patients with AUR(n=88,37.3%) and without AUR (n=148,62.7%) who were treated by HoLEP in the First Affiliated Hospital of NJMU from July 2013 to February 2015. Perioperative clinical data,Qmax during postoperative follow-up of 6 months,post-voiding residual (PVR),international prostatic symptom score (IPSS),and quality of life (QoL) were compared between the two groups. Results:Positive rate of urine leukocytes in the AUR group was significantly higher than that in the non-AUR group(P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the average operation time,decrease in hemoglobin before and after operation,indwelling time of urethral catheter, hospital stay, and the incidence of perioperative complications(P > 0.05). Qmax, PVR, IPSS, and Qol were all increased in both groups. No significant differences were found in these parameters between the groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion:HoLEP could be a safe and effective treatment for BPH patients with AUR. The efficacy was immediate and sustained during the short-term follow-up in both groups.