Can't pee after URO LIFT proceedure
Posted , 16 users are following.
I had a URO LIFT procedure done on June 16 and I have not been able to urinate since and I have been on a catheter , when they removed the catheter first time I could not P and I could not feel full or get the Burning sensation of needing to Pee . The catheter was left in for another week and I had it removed filled up again with fluid and I tried to P and I did feel some burning needing to P and I did P little bit but I had to put the catheter back in . I am worried I will be stuck on the catheter forever . Has anyone else had similar problems not being able to pee after surgery like this ? Is there anything I can do to help get my self working again . I have the feeling the doctor is frustrated with me and he says he has never had a case like me that took this long to get working . I would appreciate any advice and similarities others have had . I have another chance to make it work next Friday. Help !
1 like, 16 replies
lester90053 ronald51748
Posted
paul29249 ronald51748
Posted
I'm sorry you're going through this, Urolift failed for me to, I'm schedule for A HOLEP next Friday at Mayo Phoenix, I will be praying for you that everything will be fine. It may take a little more time than you thought. Try to keep a positive attitude and positive thoughts and prayers.
I decided to go to Mayo doctor when my Urolift failed. They found bacteria in urine test and put me on sulfur antibiotics. I've been having groan pain every sense Urolift. I think the mental anguish is the hardest thing for me, if you know what I mean. Don't dwell on the worst. I was just peeing all the time but never had a cath ,so I'm beginning to think that I should have left well enough alone. Sorry to bother you with all my thoughts, but I wanted to let you know your not alone.
jimjames ronald51748
Posted
Sorry about your situation. What was your voiding like prior to Urolift and did you ever need a catheter to void before? Was the procedure done under local or general anathesia? What medications are you on? Any pain or anti-inflmmatory medications? Sometimes anathesia and/or medications can cause acute urinary retention. Hopefully, things will resolve by itself next Friday when the Foley is removed. If not, and your doctor still has no answers, you might seek a second opinion with a urologist not associated with your current doctor and hospital, and who also does Urolift. You might also consider either self catherization (CIC) or a suprapubic catheter. Both more comfortable and more convenient than a Foley.
Jim
harveybronx jimjames
Posted
First, I want to thank you for your always great replies, well researched, from great experience, with always terrific advice. And they are well-written. As soon as I began reading this reply, I knew it had to be from you. I’ve not been following Patient lately, partly because my own prostate issue is stable and not bothersome, and I’ve been spending my time fighting political battles to save the world.
However, I noticed that lots of people complain about waking during the night’s sleep to pee. I typically awake once or twice during the night to pee 150-175 ml, each time. I presume I awaken during the shallow part of my sleep cycle, and I’ve never found those bothersome. I sleep a total of 7-8 hours per night and always feel well-rested.
I don’t understand why some people are willing to risk sometimes horrific procedures that are sometimes unsuccessful to avoid having to awaken at night to pee. I have to assume that their experience of getting up at night must be far different from mine, and I wonder why.
Only a couple times did I have great difficulty in beginning to pee, so I took your advice and purchased the catheters you recommended, just in case, to avoid having to go to the ER, if I should ever really not be able to pee. I’m not aware that I’m suffering from significant urine retention.
My prostate is 70 cc and my PSA is about 9ng/ml with a PI-RAD score of 2 on my mpMRI from Jan, 2015. My PSA has gradually increased from 6.2 in 1999 with two negative, random biopsies in the early days, which should now be considered obsolete, replaced by mpMRI.
I should also add that I’m 75 y.o. and very active physically, also having eaten a more and more perfect diet beginning in childhood.
And Bravo, again, to you, Jim.
Harvey (So. Calif.)
jimjames harveybronx
Posted
Hi Harvey,
Thanks for the very nice words, but I didn't know the "Bronx" was located in Southern California, so I guess I was reading your screen name wrong all this time
I think some people are very touchy about their sleep. I know my dad was. Personally, getting up a couple of times a night was never a big issue with me. Probably been doing it since my 30's. I still get up at night sometimes and often I don't need to void, I just wake up for some reason or another. I certainly wouldn't get a procedure if that was the only problem but everyone's different.
The other thing is that getting up at night to void often isn't even related to the prostate. In those cases it's more associated with age related nocturia polyuria, where the void volumes shift from daytime to nightime. So, in these cases, even if someone had a successful prostate reduction surgery, they would likely still get up at night! For some reason doctor's tend not to explain this until after the fact (the fact often being a surgery!)
Glad you have some catheters just in case. Have you used them yet, or just on standby? You should also probably have your residual (PVR) checked at least yearly, if you aren't already. It sound like things are very manageable with your BPH right now, and you want to keep it that way.
Tell me a little about your diet. Lately, I've going back to more of a plant based, low fat eating regimen, primarily for cholesterol/metabolic syndrome, etc.
Jim
jimjames
Posted
Can't be too much help regarding your PI-RAD score, as I haven't had any personal experience with or researched PCa very much. My PSA has always been under 1, so they have left me sorta alone. That said, my last urologist, seemed to see cancer everywhere, and kept ordering MRI's, DRE's every visit, and tried to sell me on a rigid cystoscopy to take a look at my bladder when a flex would have been fine. He started making me nervous so I left him! The new ever changing guidelines suggest that with a PSA under 1 in my 60's (I'm 70 now) that I don't need to have it taken again. So I'm mulling that over.
So it sounds like your're on active surveillance. Any more biopsies planned? Are yours 3T MRI or just MRI? 3T MRI has been getting a lot of press here, mainly because that's what they use with Focused Laser Ablation (FLA) for BPH.
Jim
harveybronx jimjames
Posted
I grew up in the Bronx, and moved to S. Cal in 1972. The Bronx is where I learned street smarts! I never got mugged or robbed. I ran very fast!
When I was about 12y.o., my mother decreed that we stop drinking soda (pop), we were prohibited from buying hamburgers made outside her kitchen, and we avoided buying any food with hydrogenated vegetable oil or BHT (or BHA). That was in the 1950s.
My diet has continuously improved, ever since. Virtually everything we eat now is organically grown. We eat no meat (no beef, chicken, pork, etc.) except wild fish. Most of what we eat are plants (fruits and veggies and whole grains), in their natural form. I began focussing on eating a very diverse salad as my main meal when I was in my twenties. I gave up beef when I was 29y.o. We use only organic, extra virgin olive oil for salad dressing and for frying at low temp, so the oil doesn't smoke.
Also, I don't eat any supplements or exotic foods. Pills are not my thing. I take no medication. I do eat a lot of blueberries (organic).
I have not used the catheters, yet. Hopefully, I never will.
I did have my bladder residual checked by my urologist about a year ago, but forgot to get the report.
Thanks for mentioning the nocturia polyuria. I will research that, some more.
Harvey
harveybronx jimjames
Posted
I will only get a biopsy if my PI-RAD score increases above 2, and won't have another mpMRI unless my PSA spikes, again. I believe that the mpMRI requires a 3T MRI.
Remember that the PSA guidelines are really only for insurance companies to use. They are absurd for an individual to use, unless you're one of those ignorant consumers who researches nothing and faints when s/he hears bad news. Information is always good for someone who knows what to do with it. There will be a huge problem if the insurance companies begin using those guidelines to not pay for PSA testing, which is what they'd like to do.
Harvey
JerseyUrology ronald51748
Posted
Did you have urodynamics?
We have found that Urolift is not often a great choice for patients with certain anatomical features (such as a median lobe or very large prostates) and is not very good for men who have a post-void residual greater than 250 cc prior to the procedure.
anthony2858 ronald51748
Posted
Ron,
we all heal a little differently. I too had the urolift done a couple of years ago, had a few ups and downs. Main thing is try to not get all worried and start losing sleep over it, that brings problems of its own. Just know that you are being pro active and going in the right direction.
in my non professional opinion, I would, if I were you, get off the foley, your natural feelings are never going to have a chance to function if you are 100% drained all the time. Those sensations you speak of need some exercise, and the only way that is going to happen is if YOU monitor how often you should P as well as monitor how much urine you are retaining at any given time. Give your bladder a chance to build up to 300, 400 or more so it can send those signals out to some sleeping nerve endings. The solution is so simple. Ask your Uro to show you how to "CIC" self cathing, (clean intermittent cathing) and do it before going to bed so you can sleep all night and then when you get up in the morning again. At this point you are ready to start fresh, Wait until you start getting a sensation to P and if not there after 2-3 hours gently cath yourself and measure how much comes out, (which will be 100%), then if it's only, say 200 cc or so then hold off a little longer next time before cathing, say like 4 hours and let your bladder fill up even more so you can begin to wake up those nerve endings. Trust me brother, it will work. Probly in less than a week is my opinion. Most of us men on this site have been through a lot and have learned a lot, especially when having to be our own best doctor, and troubleshooting some of our own stuff. One last thing is when you start to CIC, KNOW THAT IT IS VERY EASY AND SIMPLE! You can even get these things in a "compact" so you can carry one in your pocket to use at any time. No one will know. In closing, remember that your Urolift is still fresh, and during the CIC process (which takes only a minute or 2). You should probly insert slowly, they are pre lubed so the process is very smooth anyways, but as you do it give a little twist left and right as you maneuver it into your bladder as to not interrupt the urolift implants. You will get the hang of it very quickly and figure out how to get that p****r working again!
Good luck sir, go do it. And remember, wisdom is only good if you use it!
Hope you get back to p*****g on your own soon!
Regards, Anthony.
lester07305 ronald51748
Posted
Yep, I had one a year and a half ago. No picnic for sure with cath and bladder spasms and the results were -2 on a scale of 1 to 10. Caused me more problems than I started with and could not get off any medication. Some gentlemen on this forum have had success with it so don't know if it was my doctor or what the reason for the failure was. Good luck with yours, I hope things straighten out for you.
Rog615 ronald51748
Posted
What was your prostate size before?
Seems like a long time to have a catheter in
jimjames ronald51748
Posted
Ron and Anthony,
I agree in part with Anthony's advice regarding CIC. If you can't void the next time they take out the Foley, discuss CIC as an option with your doctor.
As to letting the bladder fill up so you will regain your "natural sensations", I would be careful here. If you aren't voiding on your own at all, you will probably need to cath at 4-6x/day, depending on fluid intake. What you don't want to do is to strech your bladder, so for that reason you want to keep your bladder volume 400ml or under, by measuring your void volumes and then adjusting your cath frequency. And while it's true you may not feel the urge at lower volumes (100-200ml for example) the same can be true when the bladder is stretched out. For that reason, it's better to err on the low volume side, than going over 400ml.
That said, there may be more going on, so if your Uro remains clueless, consider another opinion.
Jim
frank74205 ronald51748
Posted
Let me know,
frank,
rlast ronald51748
Posted
I have had it done two times now. The first time came with relief for about 6 months so a year later, I had it performed again(different doctor) and got no relief at all. Dr. quite puzzled as the urtheral opened completely after the procedure. So, don't know what I am going to do. However, to respond to your situation, I never experienced any problems with peeing either time. Certainly is unusual. Did your doctor give you pictures of the procedure? My feeling is that it is challenging to find a doctor who knows the procedure well and who has done it many times!