1. Community
  2. Men's health
  3. Prostate Problems

Button Plasma TURP 4 weeks POST

Posted , 45 users are following.

david75878
david75878

To all those guys deciding what proceedure to have. 

I had the Button Plasma TURP August 30, 2016 after 10 years of dealing with BPH. I am 61 live in Southern California and in good health.  I was getting up 3-4 times a night and taking Finesteride and Doxysosyn (same thing as Flomax). During this time I had a couple of trips to the ER for a total blockage. Probally the most pain I have ever felt is when you can't pee. Two days of a cathter and I was back to normal.

After years of dealing with the pills and urgency my prostate finally grew so big that it completely shut down my ability to pee. Of course this happened on the 2nd day of a cruise. Thankfully cruise ships have hospitals and catheters, but finishing a cruise wth a leg bag affixed to your inner thingh is not my idea of a fun vacation. Anyway, for another month I had a catheter due to not being able to pee without it. The doctor said that the prostate finally grew to the point where it was pressing on everything in the area. Spicy food, alcohol, coffee and sitting for long periods would set it off so I needed to make a decision on having a surgical proceedure.

I researched severeral different proceedures but finally decided on the Button TURP. (less bleeding, less complications, and no hospital stay)

I tryed self catheterization but was not willing to do that for the rest of my life and I had difficulity inserting the tube without alot of pain and bleeding. So got an appointment with a urologist who is young and up on the new proceedures. He recommended Urolift but soon realized that my prostate was too big so therefore the button was the next step. I went to another surgeon who also advised a TURP but only did the original one and I wanted something new and inovative. I decided on the newer version although they all burn or cut out prostate tissue just by different methods.

I went in for a 7 am surgery and was out by 2 pm with a cateter and bag, antibiotics, spasm and pain meds. The first couple of days had some pain and spasms but nothing ibuprophen couldn't handle. The cateter stayed in for 9 days which, was uncomfortable, but I am glad it was done. My Dr was big on leaving it in for longer than the usual 3 days. It allowed my prostate time to heal and the swelling to go down so he said.

On day 10 the doctor removed the catheter and  said see you in 3 months and everything was good. He said the prostate was the size of a lemon ( way over 100 G) and had pushed into the bladder. The proceedure took 1 1/2 hours and he was only able to remove 50% of one side and everything around the bladder neck. He assured me that was enough and said I should be good for the rest of my life. He also said that I should not have any issues with retro ejaculation because he only removed the side opposite to the seminal canal. ( Hopefully he is right haven't tested that yet)

He allowed me to go back to the gym advising me not to lift heavy and no sex for 30 days. No other warnings except that it takes 6-8 weeks to heal and up to 3 months before it's back to normal. His lack of concern was reassuring to me seeing I have read way too many horror stories about the TURP.

I pee with no effort, still wake up twice a night but at least I pee real good. Every once in a while I get itching inside around the prostate (I assume it is healing) and minor after burn when peeing. Not bad it goes away real fast. I notice it is usually after a hard workout or when I overdo things during the day. No more blood or pressure when I sit and I never saw any scabs in my urine as described by some.

So it has been 4 weeks since surgery and I am glad I did it. It feels great to pee again. Yes there is some frequency at times (usually when you stand up after sitting) but no incontenence. I get errections better than before and the sensation seems better. I haven't had sex yet but soon, so I don't know about what that will be like. For many years I had retro from the drugs and got used to it.  I am a little apprehensive about sex because of the DR's warning not to have it for 30 days. Don't want it to get swollen or have a adverse reaction. I have not found much about sex after TURP so I am still in the dark.

Anyway guys it wasn't as bad as I thought and I am glad I did it. Don't get me wrong, you are not up and about running around for awhile but at least you can pee, get erections and have some hope for the future. You need to take it easy because the proceedure is rough and that area does not like to be poked, probed, cut burned and messed with. Drink alot of water and do not get constipated!. Take those stool softeners. It is amazing how everything down there is tied together.

If anyone has advice on the sex issue please let me know. Hopefully that works without issue.

I will keep all posted as time goes and after ejaculation ( if there is any) because that is what seems to concern most of us about this procedure.

So far so good!

2 likes, 187 replies

187 Replies

Next
  • Pepasan
    Pepasan david75878

    Posted

    Glad things are working out for you. Thanks for posting a fairly good-news item about TURP. (so many postings seem to be negatively critical of it). I haven't heard of Button Plasma Turp - do you know how it differs from standard TURP?

    • david75878
      david75878 Pepasan

      Posted

      The button plasma TURP uses a small scope with a button on the end similar to a spoon. Plasma goes through it which heats it up. The spoon touches the tissues and vaporizes it therefore no bleeding and a smoother incision. There are videos on U tube that show the procedure. Very interesting. It is good for large prostates. It still burns out the the prostate but from what I am reading all of them do that just with different tools. And Yes I wish more people would post good results. It can be unnerving when making a decision if all you see is doom and gloom.
  • randy_85492
    randy_85492 david75878

    Posted

    David, Congratulations on a successful TURP treatment!.....I hope All continues to go well for you and you have a complete recovery....
  • kenneth1955
    kenneth1955 david75878

    Posted

    Of coruse there going to offer you a turp that is were there money and they don't have to deal with the side effects  Ken

  • andyr0
    andyr0 david75878

    Posted

    TURP shouldn't be ruled out altogether. It does work for some people and the alternatives, although they sound more attractive don't work for everybody.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 andyr0

      Posted

      Andy.  A turp should only be use if all else has fail.  My urologist doe that.  He will try anththing else to make you happy.  The side effect of turp suck  Ken
  • jdefelice65
    jdefelice65 david75878

    Posted

    Thanks for the good info on your procedure. My scope check is next and I'm sure my urologist is using the vaporization procedure for my TURP. I'm also starting a new job soon and hope the procedure does not hinder it too much. Question: after the TURP how often was the urgency and how long did that last? Was incontenance ever and issue?

  • t3700
    t3700 david75878

    Posted

    Thanks for the good info David.  Button Turp is all my urologist does now.  I'm thinking about having it done but still doing research.  Please let us know how your progress is going.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 t3700

      Posted

      T3700  Button Plasma Turp is much better then a regular turp  I ask my Urologist why and he said that you can control it better and you can stay away for the bladder neck and the ejaculation duct so retro is not given most of the time It just how good and caring your doctor is.  You just have to tell him what your concered about.  Good luck in whatever you pick  Ken
    • david75878
      david75878 kenneth1955

      Posted

      I agree! My doctor only had to do 1/2 of the prosdtate staying away from the duct and neck. He said the goal is to open the prostate and there is no need to do the whole thing. He did the side away from the duct and still removed 50% of the prostate. The result is ejaculation and no incontinence. I still get up a few times at night, and pee every couple of hours during the day, but I have had that issue for 10 years.  I am use to it.  At least I pee with force so I think that may be a bladder thing and not the prostate. I am also 61 and still think I am 30 so that may be part of it.

      One of my original urologists (now retired) once put it into prospective when I was 40. He said to me, when I told him that I didn't pee like I used too, "How did you pee when you were 10 years old?" I told him that I could hit the wall from 5' away and now it is not that strong. He put my worries at ease and said, "Oh when you were 10 you could hit the wall? When you are 70 it just drips out ! So where are you on that scale?"  I laughed and realized that I didn't have it that bad.

      We have to all remember that we are not 10 anymore and age does slow things down. At least I got 20 years more before I had to have the TURP.  Now I pee like I'm 40 never to see 10 again. Oh well.

    • john01814
      john01814 t3700

      Posted

      Can you tell me where I could get this?
    • jonmichael
      jonmichael david75878

      Posted

      I'm with john01814... would love to know the name of your doctor. It might help someone greatly to know the name of 'your guy'... All the best.

      Cheers

  • david75878
    david75878

    Posted

    Hello all, I hope everything is going well in your search for the right proceedure to end an uncomfortable medical setback. It has been 3 months since my Button Plasma TURP. I feel great!! No issues peeing, I can ejaculate better than when I was taking those awful pills and my erections are strong. No issues in the sex department.  Although my ejaculate may not be as much as when I was 20 or 30, it is better than having retro.

    I would highly recommend the Plasma TURP over other TURPs, but I think your success rate is all in how well your doctor performs the proceedure. My Doctor evidently knew what he was doing. Some I have read are amateurs and when your trusting your privates to a doctor, you definately do not want a rookie or non caring doctor.

    So guys do your research on the doctor more than the proceedure. A good caring doctor is worth the money.

    Anyway, I hope yours (whatever you decide) goes as well as mine did. I won't mislead you, it is a long road with many doubts, painful days and "OMG what did I do" moments; in the end all is good and I am glad I chose to have the Button Plasma TURP.

     

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 david75878

      Posted

      So happy for you.  I am glad they are inproving the turps.  BPT take a litle longer to do because you have to take your time and go around all the good stuff and just get rid of the tissue that is causeing the problem.  Again glad all is working for you  Ken
    • Lvscott
      Lvscott kenneth1955

      Posted

      See Ken, I told you Button Turp is among the best procedures. Writing this now in lieu of another thread here with a person asking about how well certain TURPS work.. Notice this man DOES NOT HAVE RETRO? That's why Button TURP is superior.. HOLEP cleans out more tissue, but is virtually guaranteed to leave you with retro. This procedure allows the surgeon to be more precise and avoid ejac ducts.. The only increased risk with Button Turp is Urethral stricture - slightly higher than other TURPS because the retroscope bounces around a bit more - about 3 to 5% chance.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 Lvscott

      Posted

      I did not say that the Button Turp is a bad procedure. Men have had good results with it. You just have find a good doctor that can do it.

      But you do still have a chance of retro but some men do not want to take that chance..........That is why I think men wait so long to get help.

      Ken

    • tom86211
      tom86211 david75878

      Posted

      David,

      Great to hear that the TURP procedure worked out for you. I have a few questions if you don't mind answering.

      1. Were you able to go home on the day of the TURP or were you kept overnight in the hospital?
      2. Did you have a Foley catheter after and if so, for how long?
      3. How many days did it take before you could resume normal activities?
      4. How long did it take for you to be able to get better sleep at night?

      A couple of years ago I had a PAE and it was a partial success. However, I am back to where I was before my operation. My nocturia is bad - have to get up 5-7 times per night and never get a good night's sleep. I am back on Flomax , and getting some relief at night from Trospium, prescribed for overactive bladder. I have researched all of the BPH procedures for years and am back to considering bipolar/button TURP to get some relief. I have to have a procedure that is covered by my insurance.

      Thank you for your thoughts and advice,

      Tom

    • bill1955
      bill1955 tom86211

      Posted

      if it's helpful, my experience with Button Turp is as follows:

      1 - yes, it was a morning procedure, I was home in the afternoon

      2 - I had a catheter for 3 days. It was annoying and restricting, but a forgettable blip in the scheme of things

      3 - I took it easy for the first week, started long walks the second week and continued up to 10 mile walks for 2 months before getting back on the bike

      4 - Sleep improved from 2 hour segments beforehand to 3 hours afterward. Would have loved to have seen more improvement in sleep but 2 wakeups is not so out of the ordinary for older males. I hope you can get down to 2-3 awakenings, 5-7 is disturbing.

      The main difference was in the volume of the stream quickly emptying the bladder compared to a prolonged dribble beforehand. And no meds post surgery.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 bill1955

      Posted

      Good Afternoon Bill

      That is very good information. I hope it stay that way for you Sometime doctor will say that the sleep is do to habit if you did it before your procedure you may do the same after.

      How fast did you get your sex life back. And do you end up with Retro Ejaculation.

      Have a great day...Ken

    • bob432581
      bob432581 tom86211

      Posted

      Just to share my experience with the button turp procedure.

      1. I had the procedure in mid September
      2. it was an out patient procedure, the surgery was at 11:00 am and I was out of the office about 2:00.
      3. I did have a catheter in overnight, that was by far the worst part of the procedure. It was removed at 9:00 am the next morning, that's one appointment I wasn't late for!!
      4. I had no pain or burning sensations after the catheter was removed. I was expecting removing the catheter to hurt, it didn't.
      5. I don't have Retro, my doc indicated less than 1% of his patients have retro after a button turp. It really depends on the doc. This doc was the only one who said I wouldn't have retro, I went to 4 others and they all said 100% I would have retro.
      6. I was getting up every hour at night pre op and now I get up a couple of times a night.
      7. I would have to go to the bathroom multiple times while out to dinner, now I don't have to
      8. I had to wait 2 weeks to do much walking, 4 weeks to play golf and 8 weeks to work out and ride my bike
      9. After 4-5 weeks I did develop and over active bladder and had a UTI, I am taking med for my bladder which I hope to be off in about a week.

      The procedure was much less than I was expecting, no pain, very little bleeding, no burning sensations, etc. No pain meds after surgery. It has been 10 weeks now and I have no issues. I am sleeping better, fewer trips to the bathroom, etc

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 bill1955

      Posted

      Bill

      Very happy for you. That is good to know.

      Some men are still concerned with them issues

      Have a great day.......Ken

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 bob432581

      Posted

      Hey Buddy

      Very happy for you.

      Maybe you can give out your doctors name and what state your in

      There may be some men that would like to have the same outcome.

      Thank you for the information..........Ken

    • Billart
      Billart bob432581

      Posted

      Dr Castellucci is my Doc to. My experience is just about the same as you.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 bob432581

      Posted

      Thank you Bob

      We have some good doctor here in Florida.

      I live in Orlando. My doctor is great....

      All the best..Ken

    • tom86211
      tom86211 bill1955

      Posted

      Bill,

      Thank you for this detailed information - very helpful and encouraging.

      Tom

    • tom86211
      tom86211 bob432581

      Posted

      Bob,

      Can't tell you how much I appreciate this detailed information.

      Thank you,

      Tom

    • R0CKER
      R0CKER bob432581

      Posted

      I'm using Dr C for a Button TURP this coming week. Fingers crossed.

    • bob432581
      bob432581 chuck68670

      Posted

      Hi Chuck, I presume you read my update above. I have nothing really to add to that. I had/have no issues after surgery.I am sleeping 5-6 hours at night without getting up. When traveling I knew where every rest stop was and would normally stop at all of them... now I can drive for hours without stopping. Pre-op I would always go to the bathroom before I went anywhere, we couldn't go to dinner more than 30 minutes from home if we did I would almost always have to stop on the way home. Now I have no issues.

      What would I do different? Knowing what I know now, I would have had the surgery 10 years ago. My quality of life is just so much better

    • chuck68670
      chuck68670 bob432581

      Posted

      Bob,

      Yes I read your 10 week post op report, and wondered how you were doing after an additional 6 more months. I am looking for a procedure to resolve my BPH issues and have not ruled out anything as yet...although my IR doctor ruled out PAE for me due to my small size prostate; at 38 gr he believes I would not make a good candidate.

      Thank you for your update, and I wish you continued success sir.

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.