6 weeks post-TURP
Posted , 7 users are following.
I had a TURP on 2/20/19, 6 weeks ago today. The procedure was easy and pain free. I spent one night in the hospital and came home without a catheter. Voiding was unpleasant for the first couple of days but after that it was fine, other than the expected urgency and frequency. I resumed all normal activities after 3 weeks per my urologist's instructions. He said it would take 3 months to heal completely but I have seen no blood or scabs in my pee for about 2 weeks and am feeling fine.
The positive outcomes have been: 1) much stronger stream, 2) voiding twice the volume I did before the procedure, 3) often getting up only once per night, (before I almost always got up twice and occasionally 3 times), 4) can hold it, if necessary, when I feel the urge, 5) alcohol no longer affects my voiding, 6) no longer have the feeling that I haven't emptied my bladder, 6) pathology discovered prostate cancer which a previous prostate biopsy had missed (it's the least aggressive kind so I'm in the "aggressive surveillance" mode.)
The only negative is retrograde ejaculation. This doesn't bother me (or my wife) and I had it already due to BPH medication (doxazosin, which I discontinued immediately following surgery) but I put it down because it could be an issue for some. It is common and often unavoidable after a TURP.
There is really no reason for a man to suffer from BPH in the 21st century. If medication doesn't work to your satisfaction, do your research (and by research I mean reading the results of clinical trials which are widely available on the internet). Discuss your situation with your doctor (urologist), then pick the procedure you (and your doctor) feel is best for you. Ignore comments about a particular procedure from anyone who has not had that procedure. Those comments are worth what you paid for them.
Good luck to all!
2 likes, 13 replies
andrew57341 lee56659
Posted
Good to hear this news. I had my TURP operation on the 22nd Jan this year. I was suffering for a long time - I had bladder stones as well. I couldn't drink alcohol during this or coffee. I feel loads better and things do settle down , my life has been transformed and I would encourage all men with this problem to get the appropriate medical attention.
Three weeks after my op, I was diagnosed with low level and non- aggressive prostate cancer. Gleeson scale 6. Nothing to worry about and I am not overly concerned. It could have been a lot worse.
Anyways Lee, good luck with your recovery, you seem to be doing very well. It is good to that the TURP operation is getting favourable comments.
Andrew
lee56659 andrew57341
Posted
That was my exact diagnosis. I'm going to get a PSA test 4 months post-op to establish a new baseline. He said only 15% of the examined tissue showed evidence of cancer so I am not concerned either.
With all the anti-TURP bias on this forum (almost exclusively from guys who haven't had one), I'm happy to report a successful outcome.
andrew57341 lee56659
Posted
Same here, I am having a MRI scan in May to assess if any progress has happened. I had 3 grams removed and under 5% came back bad. I will be having a PSA test a couple of weeks before. There is no point in suffering in silence and encourage all men to at least get checked out and to get additional attention if necessary. The TURP has benefited my life greatly.
rdemyan lee56659
Posted
Hi Lee and Andrew:
Great to hear that your operations were successes! Would you please let us know which type of TURP you had (bipolar, etc.). Also, can you provide information on where the operation was performed and the name of the urologist that performed the procedure.
Thanks.
lee56659 rdemyan
Posted
Search on "my TURP part one" for an extensive report which I posted 2 or 3 days after the procedure. More than you ever wanted to know! 😃
It was bi-polar and the doc started with a loop electrode (because it's faster) and finished with a plasma button to smooth out the surface. I had a large median lobe even though my prostate wasn't that big (estimated 50cc via DRE). I live in South Bend. You can send me a message and I will give you the doctor's name. He's in a large practice called Urology Associates.
hank1953 lee56659
Posted
Congratulations Lee! Thanks for sharing.
andrew57341 lee56659
Posted
Hi both,
I had the bipolar operation in the UK on the NHS in Newcastle upon Tyne at the Freeman Hospital. I take it that you both live in the USA?
Andrew
lee56659 andrew57341
Posted
I do.
emil54651 lee56659
Posted
well said and I fully agree...at this time and with the medical help, do your research and decide for what is best for you. Suffering of BPH reduces quality of life.
Supertractorman lee56659
Posted
I am pleased to hear your TURP went well and you are recovering. The one thing that upset me about my TURP was they did not tell me it could / would grow back again , and in my case within 12 months I was in the same position, unable to pass water due to an enlarged Prostate. They wanted to do another TURP, but I refused and because I had Cancer in my Prostate I requested for it to be removed. I was advised I may have problems with Incontinence as due to having had a TURP, increased stitching would be required in a Robotic Prostectomy which can cause this problem but I would have to wait 12 months to see if I got rid of the incontinence. Next month will be 12 months and I may have to undergo another procedure to deal with the Incontinence.
I hope you do not have these problems but feel that more information should be given regarding the problems which can arise from the procedure as now I would have pressed for removal of the Prostate at the start as it could have been justified due to the Cancer.
rdemyan Supertractorman
Posted
Super: That sounds highly unusual that the prostrate would grow back enough in just 12 months after a TURP to cause urination problems. Did they tell you that the prostate grew abnormally quickly because of cancer, or provide some other explanation?
lee56659 Supertractorman
Posted
My doctor told me the prostate keeps growing but said it usually takes 10 years to reach the pre-TURP size. 12 months sounds very unusual. I'm sorry your experience has been less than satisfactory.
Supertractorman rdemyan
Posted
Apparently it does normally grow slowly but in my case it was quickly. I was told the Prostate is one of the few things that grow in old age unfortunately, and on here I have read of others having a number of TURPS.