Prostate :: TURP Experience
May 21, 2014
JUst wanted to share my experience with my turp surgery. I'm 45yrs old, too young some say for me to having prostate issues but I put it down to my father side of the family (my father and uncles all currently suffer from enlarged prostates)
For the last couple of years been suffering from weak urine stream, having a full night sleep and waking up in the morning with the urge to go wee just to wee a small trickle. I also suffered from time to time having blood in the urine.
Went to see the Urologist, he did some testing, test on the strength on my urine flow (very weak the doc said) he put a camera up my penis to see inside and we could see clearly that my prostate was enlarge and was putting pressure on my bladder which probably explained why sometimes I could see blood on my urine. I have a benign enlarged prostate, no cancer worries which is good.
While I decided if I wanted to have surgery, doctor put me on Avodart. It did help but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take antibiotics for the rest of my life. Avodart temporary reduces the size of the prostate but if you stop taking it, you will still have the same problem again and it will only get worse.
Decided to have the surgery, I had it three weeks ago. spinal block, stayed in hospital one full day with a catheter inserted. Catheter was removed the following day in the morning, had to urine a few times into a container, followed by a scan machine pressed to my belly to see how much urine was left in the bladder. Passed the test and was allowed to go home that day at midday.
I can see the immediate benefit of the surgery where my urine stream is very strong. When I get up in the morning with a full bladder, no more urine trickle, just a strong urine flow. On the other side, I'm still suffering from post surgery effects, for example, frequent urges to go to the toilet and pee ( I probably go every 40 to 60 minutes) blood on the urine and pain (burning/stinging) every time I have to take a piss. The doctor says is normal for this symptoms to happen and it will take weeks before everything is back to normal. how long? it depends on the individual. I can get an erection, it feels a bit different and I will suffer from retro ejaculation ( I was warned about this)
Anyone that had Turp done, how long it took until you were pain free? (no blood and pain) Did you take any medicine to stop the pain or the bleeding?
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I just had a cystoscopy and it seems like I am headed for a TURP. My local urologist seems quite competent but I am wondering if I would do better with a large medical center perhaps equipped with robotic surgery like Da Vinci.
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I am told that I need TURP for my enlarged prostate problem . could anyone recommend a good Urologist in Dallas Metroplex area who has good experience in this procedure
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Had TURP many years ago but old problems have returned.
Urologist has said I need TURP doing again and has placed me on waiting list. I have great difficulty peeing, doesn't completely void and dribbles when I put it away. Surgeon has offered to put a Foley Catheter in while I am awaiting surgery but as far as I can remember the Foley was only used following surgery. Should I agree to having this catheter inserted to relieve symptoms while I'm waiting?
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I had my TURP operation 8 weeks ago, the bleeding stopped after about 10 days and along with a few scabs. At the moment I find when I go to pass urine, although it comes out fast, there does not seem to be a great amount. Has anyone else come across this.
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Had a Turp almost 6 years ago. It's a feeling of being raped and you don't know it's happening until after it happens. It happens so fast to you and then it's done. How do men cope with it that have had it done in their late 50's or early 60's? Also can Prostatitis issues bring men into having turps done even though they have urinary issue? In my case I had bladder stones, a prominent middle lobe was discovered during the Turp and my urine flow rate was only 3.2 cc/ sec. Still I had feeling of a" golf ball " which brought me to a decision to have the Turp done. Anyone with similar experiences?
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I'm 48 and would like feedback on the TURP surgery...
I've had issues with my prostate over the past 2 years. Last October it was 3.9 cm x 4.9 cm. An now its measured at 5.9 cm x 5.7 cm during the past year I've noticed I was getting 5-8 times a night and during the having to rush to the restroom with no time spare, in the past 4 months I've had to force my urine out. Called doc he ordered urodynamics test, it showed that my bladder has no reaction when I'm full of urine. Doc said MY prostate is so large it's shutting off my urethra tube. So he said I need the TURP surgery. .
I'm so unsure about this because I've had penile implant surgery this past Jan. and if I have the TURP I'll lose my ejaculation...
I also would like to know how to do all with not being able to cum?
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I am 36. I have chronic prostatitis for 18 years, that's half my life. My experience in the disease and treatment follows:
The pain is intense and crippling. I have to be in bed all the time. Intense spasms. Symptoms move from urethra to prostate, back,ass, testicles so when you feel you finished with a symptom there starts another. I also may have difficulty urinating and some time ejaculating. This condition has remained idle for a total of 6 years out of 18 and whenever I feel it is gone I have a really good flare up the very next day. Idle means I am not in pain but I get to wet my pants after urinating.. That is the closest I can have to normal life. My sex life is not good because I get erectile dysfunction when chronic prostatitis is active. When it moves to being idle there is a tendency for restoration of erectile capacity however it is clear to me that I do not respond to visual stimuli any more . Reason for ED is venous leakage. Location of pain is as such that I frequently check both my urinary system and intestines.
Findings: High bladder neck, non typical inflammation of colon, prostate has no infection
Medical checks so far: Urethroscopy, Colonoscopy. prostate, testicular, bladder, kidney ultrasounds. urine and prostate fluid cultures.
All cultures have come back negative. Bladder ultrasound shows some urine remaining after fully urinating.
Experience with medication: I have used antibiotics, a-blockers, mesalazine for my intestines and cortisone (buddy cole). For ED I have used Viagra and Cialis.
When I have flare ups NO medication works to control the pain. Or it may work for some weeks and then all of a sudden stop working. Medication for ED seems to be effective provided my symptoms are either gone or are not too intense. Symptoms come and go and it seems I cannot really control them.
Psychological impact: I am desperate and seriously considering suicide when I have flare ups
Social impact: No friends left. I do not have the energy to move out of bed
Fertility: Thankfully no problems whatsoever. However I am extremely worried whether my offspring will have the same problems as I do.
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Since I posted a thread about self-catheterization -- more formally called Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) -- there have been a few different discussions on the topic in various threads. I thought it might make sense to bring those discussions over to a dedicated thread. With that in mind, I will summarize and/or copy and paste some of what was said before into this thread for better continuity.
My story in a nutshell. 68 years old with BPH probably since my late 20’s. Watch and Wait strategy with on-and-off trials of Tamsulosin (Flomax) with poor results. Symptoms were the normal retention issues resulting in frequent urination with incomplete emptying, urgency, and having to go to the bathroom at night in increasing frequencies. Near the end, two or three uti’s per year often accompanied by gross hematuria (bleeding).
Two years ago things got significantly worse and I couldn’t urinate on my own without physically pushing against my bladder (Crede Maneuver). That led to another trip to the urologist where ultrasound showed significant retention and hydronephrosis (water in the kidneys). I was told I needed an operation (this facility primarily did Turps) but first I had to rehabilitate my bladder because at the time it was too flaccid (stretched) for a good surgical outcome. I was given the choice of wearing a Foley Catheter for six weeks, or a program of self-catheterization (CIC) in order to decompress the bladder. I chose CIC so I didn’t have to wear a Foley 24/7, and also because I felt it put me more in control.
Six weeks later my bladder was rehabilitated to the extent they could do a Turp, and the hydronephrosis was gone. After doing some research and a lot of thinking I decided to put off the Turp due to the potential of irreversible side effects, primarily retrograde ejaculation. Two years later, I am still doing CIC while waiting for newer procedures with better outcomes and fewer side effects.
I will detail my experiences with CIC in following posts -- but to summarize, once mastered, it’s a painless five minute procedure that allows you to empty your bladder completely any time you want. With CIC, I therefore have no retention issues, no urgency, and in most cases sleep 6-8 hours through the night without having to get up and go to the bathroom. No UTI’s in over 18 months. And because my bladder has been partially rehabilitated, I can urinate normally about 50% of the time without using the Crede maneuver. My IPSS Score (International Prostate Symptom Score) would be Zero (the best), albeit with a little mechanical assist.
As of now, nothing that I have read about the various current procedures has tempted me to have an operation. That could, or could not change, in the future, but the nice thing about CIC is that you can stop it any time you want with no repercussions. The caveat is that CIC should be done under the supervision of a doctor who will monitor your BPH as required. Similar to seeing a doctor on a regular basis during a Watch n’ Wait BPH strategy.
I know many of you here have already had operations like Turp, and in most cases people seem pleased with the outcomes. CIC certainly isn’t’ for everyone, and I can understand why someone does not want to carry around a urinary “tool box” with them. On the other hand, with practice, it’s not the traumatic and scary procedure some think. I can honestly say right now that for me it’s about as traumatic as brushing my teeth.
I’m offering my experiences and thoughts on CIC for any of those who haven’t yet made up their mind on an operation. It even can make sense for those of you who don’t need an operation yet, but want to increase their IPSS quality of life score. In fact, wish I had done CIC earlier while on Watchful Waiting. Didn’t realize how much BPH had been affecting me for most of my adult life until I was able to empty my bladder completely.
CIC doesn’t have to be a permanent solution, it could just part of a waiting strategy like I’m on, until better surgical operations are developed with better outcomes and fewer permanent side effects.
For any number of reasons, the majority of urologists don’t seem to offer CIC as an alternative to surgery. My current urologist doesn’t as far as I know, but he’s OK with what I’m doing because it works for me. So, either you have to find a urologist you can convince to go along, or go to some of the major teaching hospitals where CIC is probably more in use and better understood. That is where I was taught, albeit not very well, but that is another story.
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Well, I got home this afternoon (Thurs) after the op Tues @ 7 p.m. And things seem to be working OK. No more Tamsulosin needed, so that's one benefit right there. I'll update after a few days as the the other possible effects.
The anesthetist chose a spinal anesthetic, which I was somewhat chary of, preferring to be totally knocked out. Later I remembered that there'd been some research that found that older people who had anesthetics died earlier, so he was right on that score. He also told me that this way I had a smaller number of anesthetics (general meant 14!, this way 1 to 3).
I didn't like the thought of being awake and watching the op, but he assured me I wouldn't feel a thing; I wouldn't see anything; and I'd be able to feed and drink more or less straight afterward rather than many hours later. And so it came to pass. Just numb legs for a while. I really didn't feel anything. All over in about an hour. I even dozed a bit on the op table.
However, that night (Tues) was not good. I had a constant feeling of wanting to sh*t. However, no matter how hard I tried (and I used two laxative suppositories), virtually nothing happened. I later found out this is a side effect of the somewhat larger catheter and balloon that was put in place.
So I found it hard to sleep. But just when I did doze off once, the nurse came in for the fourth time to take my blood pressure (2.00 am?). I was really upset and told her not to do any more (all the previous ones had been OK anyway). But by then I couldn't get back to sleep. So I was wretched all the next day (yesterday).
However, last night I got to sleep about 8:30 pm; and slept right through to breakfast. Bliss.
The surgeon had come in on Weds; told me about the defecation urge origin; said I could go home today if my urine was pretty clear by then and the catheter had come out. I see him again in a couple of weeks, when the result of the biopsy will be with him. He also said only 10% need the op again in 10 years; most are fixed for good. Here's hoping.
I was apprehensive about the removal of the catheter. In the end though, it wasn't too bad. I did most of it myself, easing it and rotating it a bit when it seemed to stick. Whew! Great. Then I pee'd a couple of times to test things; told I was OK to go. I left.
Home by 3 pm today. Then did a good walk (4 miles) and all's well. Still some blood and bits, but most clear. Good flow. Now to see how I am at night.
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Having agonised about what to do for over a year now I have finally decided. Nothing. Well, not quite nothing but what is termed ‘watchful waiting’. My PSA has steadily increased over the past two years from 5.4 to 7.4 and in September my GP referred me to a urologist. The urologist, who arrived very late to the surgery, did a quick DRE then said that he would refer me for a biopsy. I wanted to discuss the options, including MRI as I didn’t want to undergo an invasive procedure without proper discussion. Also, I had read that in a test conducted on 223 biopsy-naïve men that biopsy was no better at detecting PCa than MRI. The link to the study is here - [URL....]
We found that mpMRI/MRGB reduces the detection of low-risk PCa and reduces the number of men requiring biopsy while improving the overall rate of detection of intermediate/high-risk PCa.
Unsure how to proceed I asked my GP to refer me to a private urologist with the hope of being able to discuss the alternatives.
In the meantime I did some extensive research and discovered two further studies which concluded that for low grade PCa (PSA<10) the outcome for watchful waiting was no worse in terms of morbidity that invasive treatment and the outcome in terms of quality of life was much better. Both studies were conducted over at least 10 years by reputable agencies. One, conducted by the New England Journal of medicine is here [URL] ... . The other can be found by searching 'PIVOT'. Also, a number of well-known doctors have published articles in favour of doing nothing – Dr Mark Porter in The Times and Dr Sarah Jarvis in this very website, not to mention other articles in The Daily Mail, Telegraph and Independent. I got to thinking that if invasive treatments did not improve my outcome, what was the point of a biopsy?
I finally got to see a private urologist who discussed the options and, although he was marginally in favour of a biopsy, did not object to my proposal. So now I am going to monitor my PSA and I will reassess the situation if/when my PSA goes into double digits. I have since gone on a no-dairy and low red meat diet and my latest PSA (Dec14) was down marginally to 7.2 – still high but moving in the right direction. I appreciate that this course of (in)action is not for everyone and not knowing is frustrating at times, but for me at least, I feel it is the best current option.
I am 56 years of age and my father, who is still very well had an RP for PCa about 15 years ago. All DREs have reported ‘enlarged but benign-feeling’.
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After initially being diagnosed with stage 4 terminal bladder cancer and told I only had weeks to live, plus there was nothing they could do for me, I became a pro-active patient (doctors advise, I decide). All that was nearly 7 years ago.
I have been on Tamsulosin on and off (definitely on in the last year) to help peeing.
In the last year, my blood pressure has risen to dangerous levels. Hypertension pills have helped somewhat, and by experimenting I've got to a good combination with little swelling and other side-effects. But then my remaining kidney started failing.
Investigating this a couple of weeks ago, it was found that my retention (no-one mentioned PVR) had worsened from an earlier 'normal' of 500-600mL to 1.2L and this was thought to have caused the kidney problems.
I'm now catheterised for 4 weeks (half-way through now), and both my blood pressure and kidney function tests are showing an improvement.
The last thing the urologist said was that they'd probably be considering prostate shaving. Hence my coming to this forum and reading up on the alternatives (Urolift sounds an attractive option if I'm suitable). Whilst I understand that TURP is both the gold-standard and generally OK, the stories here have underlined the serious risk of bad side-effects. So I'll see if I'm eligible for some of the alternatives (not just Urolift, but PAE and WHY).
I'll update when I've seen the urologist next.
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I am 59 years young, and I have IBS and prostate cancer. I will be starting my prostate cancer treatments the last week of October and my doctor prescribed me Viagra that I am supposed to take beginning the week before my treatment begins. I don't have a lot of money (the treatment is taking every bit of my HSA) and he told me there were places I could buy it and save some money, as I'm going to be working a lot less during the treatments. Also, I am wondering if anyone has taken Viagra and if it affected your IBS at all?
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I am looking for herbs that can cure prostatitis. Have any of you found a good remedy for this? I am not interested in homeopathy as such, as I had bad experienced with that in the past, but just plain herbs would be great. If anyone can post their information up here, that would be so useful!
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It has brought so many problems.
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I suffer from prostatitis. I am on therapy now, but my doctor didn’t give me any instructions on what I should avoid drinking or eating. Anyway, my main concern is coffee. Can I drink coffee if I suffer from prostatitis?
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I recently Started smoking Meth, unfortunately, Since then i've noticed a few things and have done some research, and was curious does/can smoking dope affect a male's prostate?
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My husband is 46 and has had blood in his semen a number of times. He's visited his GP and had a rectal examination and blood tests, which I'm assuming to be PSA? He's due to go back to the GP for his results. I'm planning on going with him but would appreciate any pointers really, as to what questions we should definitely ask. I've read that the PSA results aren't always a reliable indicator so, are there any other investigations we should press for? To be honest, I think i've 'over- googled'
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I'm 30 years old, and for the past 6 or 7 years I've been having problems when urinating. It first manifested as recurring non-specific urinary tract infections (which I'm told were the early symptoms of a bladder neck obstruction, probably caused by an enlarged prostate) which eventually settled into a long standing problem where it basically takes a very long time to finish. I'll feel as though I've emptied my bladder but if I wait long enough, more comes out (despite having no real sensation of still needing to go). I've found a couple of ways of encouraging further flow but it's still long-winded. If I get up and leave the bathroom too early I get dribbling, sometimes quite bad. It makes being intimate with my girlfriend kind of awkward because immediately after going to the bathroom I don't really want to risk her feeling anything.
I've tried both alfuzosin. At first it worked great, but eventually the effectiveness wore off and all it did was give me massive headaches. I then moved over to tamsulosin which again...wasn't terribly effective and resulted in retrograde ejaculation. Now I'm on Saw Palmetto which is reasonably effective but seems to wear off quite quickly. I basically have to choose at which time of the day I can afford to be in the toilet for 30-60 minutes.
So I guess my question is if there are any foods I should stay away from, or any other triggers that I might be able to address to get this under control? I don't drink. I'm a social smoker. Maybe 5 days out of the month. Apart from being partial to a good cup of tea/coffee I don't partake in any other substances.
Really desperate for some advice here. I recently cancelled an operation that I was scheduled for on the grounds that I was quoted a 50% chance of success, and the possibility of incontinence and reconstructive surgery if it goes wrong. Not what I want to be putting up with at 30!
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I had a Prostatic Arterial Embolization (PAE) procedure done at the University of Miami on June 2, 2015 by Dr. Shivank Bhatia. Prior to the procedure I had completely lost my urinary function and was wearing an in dwelling Foley Catheter. I had been told by a prominent Urologist at UM that I would never urinate on my own again, I needed to learn how to self catheterize and that if I chose to have the PAE procedure I should expect it would not be successful. My prostate was over 100 grams, I was not a candidate for the TURP and I should go home and have a nice weekend.
My attitude was I had nothing to lose. If the PAE did not work I was no worse off than if I did not try. Dr. Bhatia was an expert in this procedure so I took a shot. My results have been nothing short of miraculous. The procedure was done on 6/2/15. I never had one ounce of pain, either during or after the PAE. I continued to wear the Foley, but it was horrible. I went for my first follow-up 10 days after the PAE. I still could not pee on my own. Dr. Bhatia wanted me to continue wearing the Foley for another week, but I just could not. He was understanding of my discomfort and I was shown how to self catheterize and went home without the Foley, thank God!
I used the catheters approx. every 6 hours or 4 times per day. Each time I used them, I would try to urinate on my own. On June 25th at around midnight I attempted to pee on my own and 6 drops came out. It was a revelation. I then used the catheter and went to bed, arising at 6 am. This time when I went to use the catheter 12 drops came out. Each time I went to use the catheter things would improve. From a weak stream to ultimately a regular pee. I reduced using the catheter from 4 times per day to 3, then 2, then I was comfortable knowing I did not need them at all. On July 1, 2015 I stopped using catheters. I never have looked back.
Three months post procedure I had an MRI. My prostate had shrunk from 0ver 100 grams to 72 grams. My PSA had gone from 8.7 to 2.5. I no longer had any symptoms that would indicate prostate or urinary issues. I sleep through the night. I pee when I have to go, but can go 6-8 hours in between bathroom breaks. I have no discomfort, no pain, my sex life is outstanding and I am 66 years old! Dr. Bhatia has given me my life back.
My suggestion to anyone who is having symptoms: Explore ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS!! I am certain the PAE will become Standard of Care in the future. Try and understand what the potential side effects are of the "traditional" surgical procedures. They may be acceptable for some, but they were not acceptable for me. I take no drugs or medications. The PAE had no side effects. There was no possibility of becoming incontinent or impotent or having an orgasm without an external ejaculation. Find a facility that is doing clinical trials with the PAE and a Dr. who is experienced. Peeing through a straw for the rest of my life was a real possibility. Now I function like I was 40 years old, not 66 years old. I highly recommend Dr. Shivank Bhatia of the University of Miami. He learned this procedure from the man who invented it and he trained with him in South America to perfect it. You have very little, if anything to lose, and you have getting the rest of your life back to normal to gain. Happy to answer any questions or inquiries. Good Luck to all.
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I went to my doctor and she said that a PSA is needed for screening purposes. I asked why and she said that TRT can cause cancer. I told her I have heard nothing of this and if it does I would have never started it. I have read that being on TRT can fuel cancer that is already there making it grow faster and more likely to be aggressive in nature. She looked at me with a puzzled look and said really well maybe you are right I will check into it. OMG! this is my doctor. Now what the heck am I supposed to think. I have never read anything that links TRT to causing cancer, fueling it yes, but causing it no. I have also read that men with low T are at a higher risk of developing cancer so it would be safe to say I am better off on TRT than not. I wouldn't be on it, but my body no longer makes it so it was 0. My side effects from this were really bad. It is like having chronic fatigue syndrome and sexual dysfunction. With a side of extreme depression. It was terrible and I don't want to go back to feeling that way, but the doctor would like me to stop due to cancer risk and blood clotting. I am getting checked regularly for blood issues and have no desire to take a PSA test. I believe it will open Pandora's box. I wish to leave it alone. What is a guy supposed to do?
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