Button Plasma TURP 4 weeks POST
Posted , 45 users are following.
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
frank27027 david75878
Posted
Hi ,Was the button plasma Turp good for you? How did it compare to Bipolar Turp? I hope all is going well for you. I don't know where to find a urologist that does button plasma Turp. Where did you have this done,and where you satisfied with the results?
Thanks
frank,
kurt1955 david75878
Posted
I am having the Button TURP procedure on October 2nd with Dr. Derek Zukosky, DO, in Colorado. I am also having bladder stones blasted with a laser during the same session.
I would like to hear from both people who have had both (Button TURP and stone zapping) procedures at the same time and what their recovery was like. I'd also like to hear from endurance athletes on how long after a Button TURP they were able to get back into regular training.
I am a longtime runner, cyclist, and triathlete (3 Ironmans to date). 64-years old. I have had weak urine flow and 'have to pee' in middle of the night routinely, sometimes twice or more. I wrote this off to aging. I also have had very little ejaculate during orgasm for some years, no big loss as I'm done fathering kids. A while ago I started noticing a lot of blood in my urine after running and sometimes after mountain biking usually correlated with an immediate urge to pee. This didn't happen after road bike riding on smooth roads or swimming. Turned out to be bladder stones bouncing around in my bladder, It seems the stones are pointy and can cause bleeding. When I stopped running and mountain biking the blood in the urine was much less but still there.
My PSA is 5 something, up from 4 a year ago, hoping this is due to BPH and not cancer.
I am a widower with a girlfriend 7 years younger than me that I want to keep happy, so recovering full sexual function is important to me. And of course I want to return to full training schedule and not have to route all my workouts based on places where I can take a leak discretely.
If you are an endurance athlete or have had both procedures, please share your recovery experience with me. How long before your sex life resumed and quality of same. Also, how long before full training schedule resumed, and related issues.
Thanks in advance!
bill1955 kurt1955
Posted
Kurt, I'll reply as it pertains to button turp and endurance cycling. I had the procedure early July 2017. I took 3 days off, then started walking each day building from 5 minutes to 3 hour walks by the end of the month. The Dr prohibited cycling, but no limit on walking. Weeks 4 and 5 were a mix of cycling and running. Did metric centuries most weekends through the fall and 400 miles in 4 days in November. In the grand scheme of things, the procedure wasn’t much of a setback. As for other functions, stream improved from a trickle to a blast, sexual function unphased. The urge to pee at night didn’t go away, but improved from about 90 minute intervals to 2.5-3 hour intervals. No problem holding it on long rides. I'm going on 64
tom86211 kurt1955
Posted
Kurt,
I had a bipolar TURP in April. I am 9 years older than you, but still a regular exerciser. I was also concerned about getting back to my normal exercise routine. Took a week off after the surgery, then in the weeks that followed gradually increased the exercise, so that I was back to my normal efforts at about 6 weeks post op. No big deal. It's good to take a break from the exercise once in a while, helps the body to recover. Some athletes take months off or severely reduce their exercise at certain times of the year for this very purpose.
Tom
tom86211 bill1955
Posted
Bill,
Interesting when you said that "the urge to pee at night didn't go away, but improved from about 90 minute intervals to 2.5-3 hour intervals." I have been waking up every hour to hour and a half for a couple of years, but in April of this year I had a bipolar TURP and expected that my sleep would improve. At first it didn't. Maybe getting up at night over and over again was/is a bad habit. Anyway, now, 5 months post op, I am able to sleep in slightly longer stretches occasionally. I am taking some sleep meds to help me, but I am not sure they are doing any good. A couple of times this past week I was able to stay asleep for 2.5 hours before another trip to the bathroom. So, the sleep issue can be tough to solve. I will never know, but if I had been able to solve my retention issues a couple of years ago (when I had a PAE) maybe this sleep disturbance issue would never have happened. Getting long stretches of sleep is a very, very big deal. So, from my experience, if one is getting up frequently at night and is contemplating some form of prostate treatment, don't wait too long, or the sleep issue might become a very big problem even after treatment.
Tom
mykel1956 kurt1955
Posted
Hi Kurt,
I am of similar profile to you and had the plasma button TURP over a year ago. I am 63 and our athletics are similar only I don't have any Ironman's. I bike, run, golf, kayak etc. I also didn't have the stones issue that you have.
This is a recap of my experience:
I had worked myself up before the surgery and was really scared. Only to find out it was all for nothing. In my case I checked in at 6:00 am for a 8:00 surgery and was out of there by 10:00 on the way home with a catheter. They instruct you to drink, drink, drink, herbal tea or something non caffeinated to flush out your bladder. It's a little alarming at first seeing the catheter fill up with what looks like port wine. Then it gradually becomes pinkish more like Rose'. They instructed me to come back the next morning to have the catheter removed. I have to say that although the catheter was uncomfortable, it was nice to get some rest not having the urge to pee shortly after nodding out. Just don't roll over on it.
The next morning they took my catheter out but I've heard some guys have it in longer if the bladder had distension and needed to recover. Needless to say if feels great when it's out.
Same drill once the catheter is out. Drink, Drink, Drink. To me they said, If you haven't pee'd 2hrs after you go home, call us! That wasn't a problem though because I pee'd within the hour. They stress the 2hrs or call us thing because the surgery left a lot of chunks of tissue in you bladder. They want to make sure those chunks don't block the urethra...
You may have heard in this forum that the first time you pee it's like peeing razor blades. I'll tell you this, The first time I pee'd after having the catheter out I had actual tears in my eyes. Not from any pain, but for the fact I'm peeing like a "F" ing teenager. A friend of mine had a similar surgery and I like his words " I can p**s the bark off a tree"
Honestly there was a light tinge, more of an itch but not painful at all. The gave me stool softeners and pain medication and another one that colors your urine. To explain....
You will continue to pee blood for quite some time. You get used to it. After the catheter was out, the urine color is was not longer Port Wine but more like a Rose. The medication that colors the urine also is an antibiotic. It adds orange to the already pink urine. Keep drinking. Don't worry about having to pee 10 times an hour. Flush, Flush, flush. You might see chunks come out when you pee. Alarming at first but normal. The more you drink the better so the chunks don't block anything.
Gradually the urine color starts to clear. Do not underestimate the recommended recovery. I was feeling antsy after a week but don't do it. They didn't want me to do anything physical for two weeks. That means no lifting groceries bending, stooping, etc. I've heard horror stories where they had to go back in and repair... so don't risk it. I did a lot of Netflix. I went back to work in two weeks.
The frequency or urge to pee also slowly subsides to a normal rate for a man 63 years old. I have a long commute and used to be concerned about making it home. I carry a bottle and had to use it in traffic jams. Similar to your discrete areas on your runs, I also knew the strategic spots to pee. I'd monitor what I'd drink a few hrs before going home then hope I made it. Now, a year and a half later, it's not even a thought. As an athlete you know how important it is to stay hydrated so I hated having to monitor in such ways. Now I drink at least 4 or 5 liters a day.
After the surgery, at first, I'd feel the urge to go, but when I stood up to go, the urge intensified to a point where I almost could not hold it. A few misses on the bathroom floor. Some men experience this others don't . To deal with this the first couple of months after the surgery, I used one of those adult pads in the crotch of my underwear. It helped to avoids embarrassing situations especially at work. Now I don't use the pad any longer and things feel 98% normal.
I say that because I feel perfect down there in general but there's a feeling, slight itch after peeing or taking a dump that reminds you, (still a year and a half later) that the prostate is there!
I'm sure you read about Retro. Do I have Retro? Yes and No. I was like you, only a few drops before TURP. After TURP, sometimes there's nothing, sometimes there's only a few drops. Either way, no difference in orgasm. They tell you to wait two weeks for that also. Better take head to that one also. You wouldn't want to mess that up.
Sorry for the dissertation but we are so similar I wanted to give you a picture of my experience.
The one thing I say to guys is that I wish I would have done it sooner and avoided all the discomfort and anxiety. I felt renewed when I was able to navigate my world without having to worry about when and how I'd pee.
Good luck to you my friend. You'll do fine. In terms of difficulty, If the Iron Man is a 10, this is a .5 at best. Let me know if you have any questions.
kurt1955 mykel1956
Posted
Thank you for the great info, very helpful! Looking forward to being on the other side of this.
Kurt
kurt1955 david75878
Posted
Post procedure update:
Had my procedures last Wednesday, laser blasting the bladder stones plus a Button TURP. I took Lyft to the hospital arriving just before 6 am. Starting around 7, I was interviewed by my nurse and anesthesiologist - do I have any allergies, when did I last eat and drink, did I wash with the special soap, did I have advance directives, and so on.
Taking my vitals the nurse remarked on my low resting heart rate, around 50 bpm, and the fact that I take no regular Rx drugs. Said this was unusual for someone my age (64). I am a life long endurance athlete (running, cycling, triathlon) so that was nice for my ego especially as I was feeling very vulnerable at the time laying there with an IV in my wrist and dressed only in the usual awkward hospital gown. I had put off this procedure several months by latching onto any excuse to delay this day. I now regret doing so. It really has been no big deal.
I don't remember going under anesthesia (general). I woke up in a hospital room wondering if I had dozed off and when was my procedure? Looking at the clock, I saw it was around 10:30 am. Yay, it must be over! I didn't feel any after effects from the anesthesia or other meds and no pain from the procedure. I could feel that I had a catheter but it was only a slight discomfort and only particularly noticeable when I had to move.
My girlfriend picked me up from the hospital around noon and took me home. Its now Sunday, the 4th day of recovery (not counting the day of the procedure). I've pretty much stayed in my house and taken it easy. I work from home most of the time and have been able to resume my normal home office work schedule. I stocked up on groceries so I wouldn't have to go anywhere for a few days. My girlfriend brought me dinner last night, which was lovely.
I was prescribed 3 meds:
Cephalexin 500 Mg 4x day, 28 capsules
Phenazopyridine 200 Mg 3x day, 12 tablets
Oxycodone (which I have not taken)
I can't say I enjoy the catheter but I am surprised that its only a minor annoyance (if I had to have it in the rest of my life, that would be different matter). I am scheduled to get it removed tomorrow morning by my urologist's assistant.
My urine, easy to see in the leg bag, started out red-ish last Wednesday and has transitioned thru pinkish and by today (Sunday) is now bright orange. I think the orange tint is due to one of the meds? I don't really recall seeing any blood clots or chunks of anything get passed. Before the procedure, if a did a run or a bouncy mountain bike ride, I would pass a lot of blood, like tomato soup sometimes, and sometimes what looked like clots would pass (not something one wants to see come of his penis!). This was due to spiky bladder stones bouncing around and puncturing my bladder lining, that's the primary reason I was getting the procedures in the first place - will be happy to be peeing yellow again soon.
(I originally was thinking I would just be getting the bladder stones zapped. I've known I've had BPH for years, weak urine stream, the usual. My urologist said the Button TURP would make it less likely that the bladder stones would reoccur as my enlarged prostrate was keeping my from completely emptying my bladder and allowing the stones to form. So, I signed on for the Button TURP thinking, might as well do this all at once and it will be nice to 'pee normal' again as a bonus.)
I set my alarm to wake me every 2.5 hours each night to empty the urine bag. I'm already used to waking every couple of hours overnight to pee.
The nurse suggested I keep the tip of my penis, around the catheter, moist with Vaseline which I've been doing.
I am planning on walking for exercise for the next 9 days or so and then easing back into indoor cycling. I am going to wait a month to resume running and outdoor cycling (have not run for months)just to be on the safe side.
I am expecting to resume my sex life. I'm a widower who has dated and enjoyed physical relationships with several women over the past two and a half years. I now have a regular girlfriend and we have a wonderful, intimate relationship. I had some 'morning wood' this morning, which actually kind of hurt with the catheter in, so I am optimistic that the 'old block and tackle' will be functioning. Dr said OK to resume sex two weeks after the procedure.
My big takeaway - if your urologist recommends a Button TURP procedure, don't delay and don't freak out.
Kurt
bill1955 kurt1955
Posted
good writeup, it parallels my experience. In the end, the benefits far outweigh the almost imperceptible inconvenience.
tom86211 kurt1955
Posted
Kurt,
Your experience with the TURP was almost identical to mine (bipolar rather than plasma button). I have used Neosporin instead of Vaseline to keep Foleys lubricated - triple antibiotic. Also, (probably too late now), but it's easier for you to remove the Foley yourself in the shower rather than going to the urologist office and have someone else yank it out. The Foley has a little drain tube attached that you cut, the saline solution drains out, and you gently slip it out with the shower water running. I have found this to be a lot less painful than having a nurse do this.
Hope all works out well for you,
Tom
jack85874 david75878
Posted
great recap Kurt, great / important details.
Last september i was in a similar situation as i had stones zapped and the suggested option for me was to have the urolift done at the same time. Because i was still on the fence about which procedure of the many to go with , i balked and I just had the stones blasted but will have to return soon to have the underlying cause addressed as im a repeated sufferer with bladder stones. In a way i wish i had everything resolved at once but i just wanted to be comfortable with the decided procedure..
Im due this month for my 1 year follow up so it will be discussed.
Congrats on getting your issued addressed with seems to a great option you decided to go with and good luck on a continued successful recovery !
JACK