Greenlight laser prostate surgery

Sorry to hear about your story and that he suffered so much.

Thanks for that. Whilst I didn't have your husband's experience, I also had a poor response from my urologist when I complained that the recovery was not as rapid or easy as he'd told me. It was 14 months before I was free of haematuria and leukocytes; my complaints about this were brushed aside. He'd said such things would be all over in a few weeks. Fortunately one of our colleagues here - Derek I think - told me he'd had to wait 12 months, so I was a bit comforted by that.

I think the moral of these stories is that urologists are very variable in their expertise and people need to check theirs out as much as possible.

This attitude sounds like my Urologist.  Actually I had a Urolift operation done - he said I could be back to normal the next day or so(!). 

After 5 months of problems I paid for a new cystoscopy when he discovered problems and redid some of the Urolift.  Two weeks on from this I am hoping for a better result this time

A very sad story. Did he not have a PSA test prior to the GL procedure?

With GL there is no tissue saved to check for cancer cells so a prior biopsy is needed if you have a high PSA.

Sorry for your lose, but thank you for the warning.

You did not mention the age of your husband but Green Light was the panacea of several years ago when it first became available. Today nobody mentions it anymore beacause it turned out to be no different than TURP. I had it myself 4 years ago. After almost a year of recovery with a lot of blood loss it failed me after 3 years. After almost a year of catherization it is starting to return to normal, but I don't know how long that will last. If urologists and other doctors personally experienced the symptoms of their patients their diagnosis and advice might be different. There would appear to be liability in your husband's case and I hope you have a good lawyer.

 

Sandra;  Iam truly very sorry to hear about your husband.  Sounds to me there was a terrible "mis-diagnosis".   All I can say is I hope the Good Lord throws you down a "Special Blessing". 

A GP I saw told me he had had a TURP done for the very reason they would do a biopsy and rule Cancer out while they were reducing the size of the prostate. You were unlucky that was the Urologist's favorite way of treatment, and it sounds like he wasn't very experienced if he believed everything was on track if he had this pain which surely is not normal.

Didn't he recommend medication first?

Sandra, So sorry for your loss and the terrible urologist that you had who misguided you.

I have been to 4 urologists and they all mistreated me some worse than others. One actually did several unneeded tests and he also disfigured me with his camera scope up my penis with no lubricant and no local pain reducing gell. I end up with Peronies syndrome which is a bent penis. 

I have had the TURP which is similar to the Green Laser which did not good whatsoever. That urologist wanted to do it again. Then I had a new procedure called a PAE which urolgists can not perform, vascular surgeons do them and it is a new procedure. I am 8 months out from that it it has shown great rsults with no side effects whatso ever unlike the TURP which is mediaval torture.

I just refuse to every see a uroligist again. 

Sandra,

Very sorry to hear about your husband. I am absolutely shocked to hear what happened to him. Normally, every man over 50 should be having an annual DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) so any unusual lumps can be felt on the prostate. Also, if "slow flow" is happening, a PSA is normally taken and the prostate volume can be measured with a  "volume study" - basically a painless ultrasound procedure. Without that, the prostate volume is only estimated by the physician doing the DRE.

If the PSA comes in at 4.0 or greater a 12 core biopsy is ordered and then the tissue samples are studied and graded. If cancer is present, depending on the Gleason grade, the prostate can be removed or hit with radiation. In advanced cases, additional medication is given to stop the production of the testosterone that is fueling the prostate cancer. If that doesn't work, then a form of chemotherapy is given. 

I can't believe that none of this preliminary investigation was done before the Green Light surgery. From a medical perspective it doesn't make any sense at all. 

This is why this forum is so important - we have to do our own research, and essentially, be our own doctors so we know what is going on.

My very best to you,

Tom

 

Thanks, sandra02624.  Your post could very well help others.  Sorry for your loss.

First of all sorry for your loss I had green light surgery and would not recomend this to anyonei had it done on a Friday was send home with a cather in and was told how to remove it on Sunday and then to follow up on Monday. Well Monday came went to see tge doctor and he said i was doing well and was told no sexual activity for 6 weeksFollowed all instructions and after 6 weeks first time having intercourse could not reach an ejaculation even though i felt like it happened but it didn't so called had a follow up and was told that because of this surgery sometimes that happens like in 75% of menWell I switched urologist and ended up with more problems from the green light laser surgery that have affected me in many ways including the removal of a testicle because of problems from infection from this procedure that infected my vas defference and went into my testicle and required removalthis all happened because my body didn't discharge all of the tissue that was removed from my prostrate Worse thing any man can have happen because this surgery should never been used on anyone Thank God for my new urologist who has been there all the way for me Went from a doctor who was in his early 50s then to a doctor who is in his 30s and actually says that new ideas for prostrate problems are getting better with new innovative ways of not being radical

I am very sorry for this.

As a two time cancer survivor I was a bit concerned when the Urologist started talking about my prostate/bladder/kidney issues. I had a PSA of course done (twice) which was elevated, I had two prostate exams (main doctor, and urologist) ...and then I had a CT scan of my entire lower half of my body all before having green light surgery over a week ago.

It sounds like your husbands doctors did not effectively test and screen him prior to surgery. I am so sorry.