Just had a TURP operation. Need post operation advice

Dear Howard,

I wish you all the best as well.

I cannot pretend to state that the TURP operation is/was a doddle. The 3 days following the op were most probably the worse in my life. However, in saying this I have been undertaking self intermittent catheterisation since April 2014 and have succombed to several UTIs - the last bout of UTI in September 2014 went up my ejaculatory ducts and vas deferens and infected my testicle and epdidymis causing epididymitis (epididymo-orchitis) which hospitalised me for 6 days - twice as long as the TURP operation. So, all-in-all had to go through with the op, meet it head on and deal with it - the future has to be better than living with the effects of restricted urine flow.

Good luck to you,

John

I hope you recovered completely and satisfactory from your TURP a year ago. I am 51 and scheduled for TURP on June 1,2016. Any encouragement and good advice would be appreciated. I am kind of in panic mode. Was it worth going for TURP? 

I don't think that it's something that men need to have checked per se. With me, I got an acute kidney infection. Clearly, this raised a red flag to my doctor, so he referred me for checks to the hospital. A few OP appointments later and a cystoscopy (a very uncomfortable procedure) showed that I had an enlarged prostate that was squeezing my urethra (water pipe) and restricting urine flow. Stale urine in my bladder caused an infection that travelled up to my kidneys. Medication didn't help me (Tamsulosin), so I was scheduled for a TURP operation.

I had a small urinary complaint around 3 years ago, but it was never fully - or in my mind - properly followed-up (different doctor then). All that was done was a PSA test which was low and therefore negative. Personally, my advice is to have the slightest problem checked out by your GP especially as you approach middle age although according to contributors to this forum, EP (Enlarged Prostate) problems can strike relatvely young men as well. As for symptoms, you need to check out the symptoms for BPH/BPE which fall under Enlarged Prostate (EP) problems on this forum and the web generally. If you think that you have any of the symptoms, or there's a history of prosate cancer in your family, then get yoursellf checked-out by your GP (at least get a PSA test done every 5 years, or 1 year if history of prostate cancer).

Hope this helps, John

You will know when you have to get up to use the toilet more often at night also a sudden rush to use the toilet, I'm sure the members here will tell you that your body will know when to seek help ( a lot of people with BHP

get no problems at all, others get only mild problems that they can live with ok, so watch and wait is the best thing.

I hope my limited knowlege helps answer what you ask.

kind regards

Howard.

You will know when you have to get up to use the toilet more often at night also a sudden rush to use the toilet, I'm sure the members here will tell you that your body will know when to seek help ( a lot of people with BHP

get no problems at all, others get only mild problems that they can live with ok, so watch and wait is the best thing.

I hope my limited knowlege helps answer what you ask.

kind regards

Howard.

Hello Howard,

Been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks since discharge from hospital, Trying to drink plenty of water to flush my system. Passing water since the TURP op has significantly improved in terms of flow and volume - a few men on this forum state that it's like "peeing like a horse". This was better in the first week and seemed to decrease during the second week; during the second week, blood reappeared and apparently this is associated with the operation scars falling away as clots and being passed out during urination. Still some discomfort while passing water - like passing razor blades, but - for sure - not as intense as previous. Have another GP appointment tomorrow - some blood tests to ensure that I'm infection-free - in terms of the op and the epididymitis that I suffered with a while ago.

Done quite a bit of research post op, so shall summarize all this with web links in a little while. Seem to remember that you're scheduled for your procedure very soon - I wish you well with this.

Best wishes,

John

did you have a spinal or general  anesthetic to have it done,? I'm not looking forward to a spinal what is it like ?( I don't know if you have a choice or not.)

thank you for the update

Regards

Howard.

Hi Howard,

I had a general anesthetic. Had mine done at QE Hospital (Birmingham). Unsure whether there was a choice and to tell you the truth, although I'm not particularly keen on a general anesthetic, I was a lot less keen on a spinal/epidural. On the day of admission my Consultant Surgeon and Anesthetist came to see me to tell me what was going to happen etc. If same happens, you can probably ask at that meeting. I should think that a spinal would only be used if you were not fit enough for a general anesthetic and this might have been flagged at your pre-op or pre assessment. Have you had a pre-op assessment?.

Regards and best wishes,

John

 

I had a pre op, the guy that's doing the turp likes doing it with a spinal as it cut's the hospital stay down by a night ( so saves the NHS money)

he's done a lot of papers on how to save money ( I could send you links if you wanted ) yet another case of money before the patient.

kind regards

Howard.

PS: Thank's for the info.

Hi Howard,

I'm sure that you can request a general anesthetic if you really want one. And remember, you can have the operation carried out in any NHS hospital. Hope it goes OK.

John.

Hello John,

I had my turp done under a general on the 21st ( last friday ) all went well

I've had no pain at all, and peeing like a 15 year old (I'm so glad I had it done) they kept me in one night longer than planed due to

retention of 600mls after I pee, they put it down to trauma and I was sent home with a foley catheter that will be taken out in ten days time when things have rested.

I have blood in the urine giving that pink to red tint but apart from that every thing seems Ok. I will give updates as I go along.

kind regards

Howard

Hello Howard,

So glad to hear that your op appears to have gone OK and you had a general. According to some of the horror stories reported here, things can be /could have been a lot worse, so it looks like we have - at least - been lucky in this respect. Good luck to your post-op recovery.

Just a tip. I had a foley catheter after my epididymitis for at least a month. They are prone to blocking, so I hope that you were discharged with some bladder wash kits etc.

Best wishes, John

I don't have any, but they were well pleased that there were no clots in the wee, they gave me 3 jabs to stop clots ( over 3 days ) and also got stockings to wear, can only leave them off 1 hour a day.

Why did you need to have a catheter after epididymitis?

 

Hi Derek, Was rushed to A&E with epididymitis - the most intense pain I have ever experienced and my right testicle - I kid you not - swollen to the size of a grapefruit. Was admitted on to a ward and on morphine for a day. Also feverish and on strong antibiotics by IV, so they suggested an indwelling (Foley) catheter so as to prevent having to get up to perform intermittent self catheterization (ISC). I was livid with the hospital staff, insofar as my prolonged period performing ISC due to BPH led to my epididymitis which resulted in 6-day hospitalisation (I knew the TURP operation was a 2- or 3-day hospital stay). I argued that this was totally false economy and was one reason why the NHS is broken. I managed to use the threat of an offical complaint to secure a date for my TURP operation which was fixed 'before discharge' for one month (I was prepared not to be discharged until a date for the TURP had been fixed). To all in a similar situation - my GP advised me to use any visit or referral to A&E to argue for action to bring the operation forward (in my case, I didn't even have a date for my TURP operation). This is what I did. Also, do be prepared to be firm and fight your corner and if you are not happy, advise them that you will be taking the matter further. Be prepared to get in touch with the hospital/NHS PALS service and let them know that you intend to do this. I'm not naturally antagonistic and confrontational - but it's amazing how a bout of epididymitis can change your personalty!!!

Apologies for digressing! The hospital doctors advised keeping the indwelling catheter in place until the TURP operation that had 'just' been fixed in 4 weeks time. I argued that all the research I had undertaken suggests that UTIs are more common with an indwelling (Foley-type) catheter and wouldn't it be best if I went back to ISC. They agreed, yet were still insistent on keeping the indwelling catheter in place. The catheter did block on several occasions resulting in yet another visit to A&E (and yet more wasted resources). The indwelling catheter was finally removed one week prior to my TURP operation when I had to go through the TWOC procedure and I was also diagnosed that same day with a flaring-up of the epididymitis again and put on oral antibiotics. Indeed, went through the TURP operation still with epididymitis (which I was very worried about) and on antibiotics. Had the op nearly 4 weeks ago and was discharged 3 days later. Both the post-op recovery and the epididymitis appears to be progressing OK and subsiding. Appears to have turned-out OK in the end.

Best wishes, John

hi, 3 days since Turp, no blood now urine is clear, no pain apart from a tickling surge from the catheter. The district nurse has made anappointment to remove the catheter next Monday ( a week today ) she will then do a bladder scan to see how much urine is being retained, if a retention is there she will place a new foley in, ( be a bummer ) but all in all it will be worth putting up with as the pain free benifit of the turp is so good. I'm so glad I had it done as I feel life is looking up. I must say that when the nurse in the hospital asked to see me wee it surprised me...lol

more women have seen my willie this week than the whole of my 67 years before.

kind regards

Howard.

I'll update again later if it's of benifit to anyone.

Hi Howard, So glad to hear that things are so much better and that you've got through relatively unscathed compared to some of the trials and tribulations that other men have to endure. Still a little hazy why you were still retainingg after the TURP op and had to be catheterized - unless it's because your bladder had to recover from BPH pressure. My Doc told me the bladder gets used to the pressure of the enlarged prostate pressing against and the extra force needed to pee and that once this pressure is removed, then the bladder has to 'relearn' how to perform. Sounds reasonable enough.

Indeed, after what I have been through this last year and the number of 'professional' women who have seen my willie and watching me self intermittent catheterisation, I am no longer bashful or feel humiliated - we're just a piece of malfunctioning meat to them!!!

Best wishes to you,

John

Now, a year after the procedure, how would you summarize your experience with the procedure and recovery? I am 51 and scheduled for TURP for June 1, 2016.

Would like to hear first hand experience.

Thank you. 

M.K.

Howard,

Crack me up! I've said the same

Thing about strange women with their hands on Mr Midnight!

Serious now: any testicle pain post turp? My surgery was 06/29/17. Stil not voiding as I would expect and am using a straight cath. Dr says 'bladder was stretched pretty good, be patient'. I knew a Patience in school. Thankfully, she wasn't! Thank you