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My HOLEP Experience

Posted , 17 users are following.

philip42830
philip42830

I have been suffering with BPH for many years. I have had a PAE which didn't work for me. I have been on Alfuzosin for many years. 

I had my HOLEP done by Mr Tev Aho at the Nuffield Hospital in Cambridge. 

I went in yesterday 8th August at 7am and had my surgery at 8.30am. I had a GA so was not aware about the procedure. I woke up without any pain at all. I had a catheter with a bag of saline to wash out the bladder for 20 hours. I had the catheter out at 6am this morning. I then out to show I could empty my bladder. This was fine, it just took time for my system to start again. I walked around the hospital and drunk water. by 10.30 I had given 3 samples the last one for 470 ml - so I was allowed to go home. I have a very slight bit soreness in my urethra, but I never had a stream which is so strong and my bladder feels empty after going to the toilet. I am a bit tired but haven't slept much during the treatment. I cannot than Mr Aho and his team enough for their patient care. I am so pleased I had a Holep.

2 likes, 115 replies

115 Replies

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  • dai12345
    dai12345 philip42830

    Posted

    Hi again. Probably worth saying that I did have the occasional very small urine spurt if I moved a certain way that lasted a few months but was never a problem. That has now virtually completely gone. I did do the pelvic floor exercises as recommended by Mr Aho for a while but I found they prolonged the slight background bleeding which did last 5 weeks (not the few days the nurse told me). It was very low level so again not a problem. BTW my check-up was at 3 months not the 1 month I said earlier
    • philip42830
      philip42830 dai12345

      Posted

      Thanks for information about your experience. That is really helpful. Philip.
  • dl0808
    dl0808 philip42830

    Posted

    Aho is one of the most experienced HoLEP surgeons, lucky u!

    this paper was published in 2005.

    HOLMIUM LASER BLADDER NECK INCISION VERSUS HOLMIUM ENUCLEATION OF THE PROSTATE AS OUTPATIENT PROCEDURES FOR PROSTATES LESS THAN 40 GRAMS: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL

    TEVITA F. AHO, PETER J. GILLING'Correspondence information about the author PETER J. GILLING†,Email the author PETER J. GILLING, KATIE M. KENNETT, ANDRE M. WESTENBERG, MARK R. FRAUNDORFER, CHRIS M. FRAMPTON

    From the Department of Urology, Tauranga Hospital, Tauranga and Christchurch School of Medicine (CMF), Christchurch, New Zealand

    PlumX Metrics

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000161610.68204.ee

     

    • philip42830
      philip42830 dl0808

      Posted

      Thanks. I spent a long time searching for the right surgeon. Cambridge is on 1.5 hours away from where I live by train. So it worked out really well. 
  • philip42830
    philip42830

    Posted

    Update. Day 3 - hardly any leakage, minimal, very little blood in urine it is very pale pink. Slight sensitivity when I pee, but nothing bad. I can pee until I feel empty. Good flow rate. Feeling tired. Slept a lot today. Eating well and able to completely relax. Philip.
  • breeze61
    breeze61 philip42830

    Posted

    Hi Phil, Good to see you posting about your op and pleased it is going well for you. I'm nearly 4 months on now and am completely happy with my HoLEP. My experience of the 36 hours in hospital was very pleasant like yours.

    I am only peeing some 300 mlitres but am happy with that as I left the op for too long and may have damaged my bladder's stretchiness and at  3 to 6 week I had urgency, I was lucky and have not lost ejeculation. I'm getting up once a night if I drink liquids liberally during the day but can go through the night if controlling my intake in the early evening. It's really pleasant to pee so fast isn't it?

    Good luck and keep us infod of your progress.

    • philip42830
      philip42830 breeze61

      Posted

      Hi Breeze, thanks for the post. I have been following your posts on your experience, which helped me. 

      At day 4 I am doing well, pleased with the recovery so far, only go up once last night. No blood at all today in my pee. 

      Have a lot more energy today, and although I am sore, it is a very small price to pay for the great flow, it is great to be able to flow so fast as you say. Before the HOLEP, my flow was just a dribble. My nurse told me not to over drink when at home, he said drink for thirst, rather than trying to flush out the bladder, that is working for me. I have no urgency and a tiny bit of leakage today, but it is clear. 

      It is great you are happy with the results, and 4 months is no time at all. I see Mr Aho in 3 months and hopefully, will be fully recovered. 

      Thanks for the post, it is really good to hear from positive posters on the forum about their experiences.

      Philip.

    • breeze61
      breeze61 philip42830

      Posted

      Thanks phil, It's good we can all help each other on this site. I note some people dont suffer urgency at all so hope you dont get it but it's only a small inconvenience in the scheme of things/

      Tony

    • philip42830
      philip42830 breeze61

      Posted

      Tony, your posts about your HOLEP experience really helped at a time when I was making my mind up.

      I haven't had urgency yet. Thanks again for your posts. Phil.

  • philip42830
    philip42830

    Posted

    4 days since my HOLEP - everything is calming down nicely. A few tiny spots of blood today when I pee. I increased my water intake and reduced coffee and tea down to 1 cup today. My urethra was very sensitive when I peed, but with the increase of clear fluids today, the soreness has reduced by 60%. I haven't got any urgency. The leakage which was pronounced yesterday, has reduced to a little dribble, which I had before the HOLEP. I got up once during the night for a pee. I feel like I am voiding well. I am not pushing when I pee I am letting my body do it naturally. My stream is so strong it is a bit of shock after years of only managing a dribble and having to go back multiple times to void. It is only 4 days since my surgery, I am really pleased with the results. I have listened to my body, I had a little walk around our village, slept and then another walk, taking it carefully. I do feel tired, but the trip to Cambridge was a bit tiring so I think I just need to sleep to catch up. I have to say my biggest fear was having a Foley catheter after the surgery. I had read so much about them. During the flushing process of my bladder, the catheter was bothersome and I couldn't really sleep, wherever I was the tubes were in the way, but I knew I had to go through this to get out of hospital. I had worked myself up about having the catheter removed, I have never had one before, so I talked about my fears with the nurse. She explained if I breath out when she pulls out the tube it will over in seconds. The moment came, I had been in bed for 22 hours not moving and just wanted to get this out of me, I took a deep breath and the nurse slowly pulled out the tube, I did feel it moving, but I didn't have any pain at all. I hoping this is the end of my BPH journey, it has been so many years, trying new pills, I had a PAE which failed, I had multiple tests for a Urolift but was told it may not last long on me, was considered for the iTind trial and each month was peeing less and less. I hope I can now get on with my life.  

    • dl0808
      dl0808 philip42830

      Posted

      Congrats on ur remarkable recovery!

      just curious, why pick HoLEP? were u told before HoLEP that the chance of getting RE is very high? If yes, still decided to go for it?

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 dl0808

      Posted

      Hey DL.  We mush be on the same wave link.  I just ask the same thing.  They do have a lot of doctor in the UK that do EP Turp and EP Holep  Have a good Sunday   Ken 
    • philip42830
      philip42830 dl0808

      Posted

      Hi DL, I think I answered that for Ken. I expect to have RE, I knew this before the surgery, that has never been an issue for me. I was at point my primary bodily function didn't work, I needed to pee to live, I don't need to produce semen to live, it was a decision I made, I will never regret it. I feel I can start to get back on with my life. Everything is working as I am waking up with a good erection. I have always been a good healer, my partner said it won't be long until you are back at the gym. BPH has been a focus for too many years, I now want to move on and just pee normally.

      Philip.

    • philip42830
      philip42830 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Ken,

      I found it difficult to find a surgeon to do a HOLEP on me, that is why I went to Cambridge, so it is still hard to find someone who is as experienced as Mr Aho to do the surgery. I am so pleased I did my research. 

      Philip

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 philip42830

      Posted

      I just can't see a guy at 59 giving up his ejaculation just to pee better when you had a chance to save it.  I had the Urolift at 58 and it worked great.  I was not giiving anything up just to pee.  But that is me  Take it easy  Ken

    • dl0808
      dl0808 philip42830

      Posted

      Thank for sharing how u made ur dicision and ur personal details with us! Ur rapid recovery apparently is generating a lot of interest in HoLEP.

      do u attribute ur excellent recovery and result to having a great HoLEP surgeon?

      ken is a faithful of Urolift, which also has its weakness. We all make decision differently, one size does not fit all.

    • dl0808
      dl0808 philip42830

      Posted

      When u were doing ur reach on HoLEP, had  u heard about aquablation which seemed to have comparable results but only had 10% RE?

      UK also seems to be at the forefront Of aquablation.

    • philip42830
      philip42830 kenneth1955

      Posted

      We are all different Ken. We make our own decisions. Good luck. Philip.
    • philip42830
      philip42830 dl0808

      Posted

      DL, you are welcome. It is down to the surgeon, 100% fine one who is very experienced.

      Philip.

    • philip42830
      philip42830 dl0808

      Posted

      Not many practitioners in the UK, I was looking at only long established procedures with surgeons near me and centres of excellence, which Cambridge is. 
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 philip42830

      Posted

      Yes I know we are different and we all have different concerns.  No problem  Ken
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