My Holep experience
Posted , 15 users are following.
Here is an overview of my Hoelp surgery.... I am a 52yr old male..Tampa, FL, .BPH for my entire life. Frequency and urgency for most of my life. Kept getting worse. Last year everything stopped and had to get foley cath 3 different times. Last one had to stay in the whole month before Holep surgery. BPH biopsy showed no cancer just a huge prostate. Holep surgery on Jan.02,2019. Prostate size was 75 grams, DR. removed 45 grams. Surgery went well. My Dr, leaves cath in longer than most. Cath removed on Jan 09, 6 days later. Today is 10 days after Holep surgery and 4 days after removal of cath. Stats,,, after cath removed.... High frequency to urinate, about every 45 minutes.... Starts with 1 or 2 drops of blood then a hard normal stream. Pain level is about a 6 from start to finish then have an radiating pain inside for 2 minutes. Then pain stops and I feel normal until next time I pee. Only 4 days out after cath removal but pain seems to be less everyday. I have had 0% urine leakage from day 1. Possibly due to my age? I am lucky there. Just pain every time I pee. Every once in a while I get a pain twinge inside but only lasts for 1 second, healing inside I would guess. I have not ejaculated yet probably way to soon? But I have "tested the waters". Only 3 days out I know I can get 100% rigid. But it hurts and spots of blood on the tip. I will hold off as long as I can because I know it will hurt the first time but I know now it is still going to work. Not known yet if I will have retrograde orgasms but I prepared if they are. Hope this helps anyone new to Holep. I am looking for your experience the first few weeks after surgery. I go back to work in 2 weeks and have a high physical job. I hope most of the pain and frequency are gone by then. Feel free to ask any questions for input and help. I am not shy as you can see. God bless.
0 likes, 50 replies
owen35669 todd94776
Posted
No...God bless YOU. What a story. Takes courage to take such a a major step. I am 73 and have had BPH since 40. I dread the day, as you describe, when/if "everything stops". Must it happen? (Rhetorical question). I might rather lose both testicles than suffer your path. Best of luck to you.
todd94776 owen35669
Posted
No need to worry owen. I am just a biker/truckdriver but having lots of time on my hands to recover I have done over 100 hours of research on BPH and Holep. With BPH it starts with the urine frequency and urgency. Some men just deal with this for the rest of their life's. That is what I was going to do. BUT if it goes to the next level of urine retention and no pee at all, you will have to go to ER and get a catheter then figure out your next plan of attack. I hope you don't go to the next level. So far my Holep experiece has been good considering the peeing burning pain that is normal after surgery and a catheter. Good luck.
hank1953 owen35669
Posted
Owen: "..rather lose both testicles than suffer your path.."
Do you mean that one can rid of his bph problems this way ? How does it work?
todd94776 hank1953
Posted
Well, yes you could say that. Holep surgery uses a high power laser. If you have BPH that means you have an enlarged prostate. Normal size is 20 grams. Mine was 75 grams. Not as large as most that get surgery, but yes, very large for being only 52 yrs. old. Laser goes into the end of penis, and disintegrates approx ,50% of the prostate. This opens up the urethra ( pee canal) After everything heals you can pee back to normal if all goes well.
owen35669 hank1953
Posted
Hank - Answer: No. As far as I know. I just considered it a perhaps decent trade after these descriptions of post-surgical pain and crap-shoot symptoms in outcomes.
derek76 todd94776
Posted
Some here have said that only their prostate shell was left and that surprised me.
kenneth1955 derek76
Posted
Hey Derek
Hope your well.
I have read the same thing about this procedure. It is said to be cored out like a orange.
Take care Ken
rdemyan todd94776
Posted
Hi Todd. Glad to hear that the surgery seems to have gone okay, despite the pain you are currently experiencing.
If you intend to spend time on this blog and/or researching BPH, I thought I would just mention that a 75 gram prostate is not all that big. A couple of guys on this blog had or still have prostates that are over 250 grams in size. My reasearch includes case studies where one guy had a prostate greater than 500 grams and another 700 grams. My own was measured 5 months ago at 100 grams (but is smaller now after taking dutasterdide - I'm still waiting to get a new measurement). I'm only guessing, but you probably had a large median lobe which was pushing into your bladder neck area and basically acted like a ball valve to close up the bladder.
What I'm mentioning is not really important, but thought it might give your some perspective. Anyway, best of luck to you and please do keep us informed of how things are going. A lot of guys here are deciding which procedure to have and real life experience is helpful.
todd94776 rdemyan
Posted
Yes Rdemyan you are correct. Most that have Holep have prostates over 100grams. But most are in the age group of their 60's and 70's. At 52 yrs. old 75 grams is very large. All prostates do grow in size the older we get. And yes, my median lobe was huge and over my bladder neck. I watched this on my cystoscopy. But 500 or 700 grams? I can't imagine. That would be the size of a softball? Personally I would still try Holep before I had them remove the whole prostate. 20 grams is a normal size prostate.
hank1953 todd94776
Posted
I read about a hoLep success on a 71 year-old with a 436 cc prostate and 400 mL PVR.
uncklefester todd94776
Posted
Thanks for posting your experience.
how were your erections prior to surgery?
todd94776 uncklefester
Posted
At 52 yrs.old I have always had totally normal erections. And as stated, it is now 10 days after Holep surgery and 4 days after catheter was removed. Day 9 after surgery I worked myself up to a full erection. I had pain and spots of blood on end of penis so I did not "finish". I know it is way to soon but I had to see if it was going to work again. I will not know if I will have retrogade ejaculations until I have my first orgasm. I will let everyone know the pain level and outcome if they would like. Knowledge is power!
oldbuzzard todd94776
Posted
Peridium could help with the pain and Myrbetriq with the urgency. As for physical labor, best to follow your docs
oldbuzzard
Posted
Docs advice
hank1953 todd94776
Posted
Thanks for sharing Todd. It seems you did your homework. Other than RE, which you already expect beforehand, HolEp is by far the best procedure, from the trial data results I've read. As far as recovery, you are doing well. My brother had a TURP, and it was pure hell for almost 6 weeks.