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My Rezum experience 12-2022, Honolulu

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ralphg
ralphg

As my urologist told me after starting the procedure, some of his patients cannot stand the pain and quit. I came close. I wish I had known earlier. The reason the procedure is done (in Honolulu, at least) without anesthesia is medical economics, meaning insurance companies. Anesthesia adds the cost of an anesthesiologist and risks of side effects from the anesthesia. I brought a 10mg hydrocodone and took it 30 minutes in advance and it did nothing.

The first pain is from the trans-rectal injection of a numbing agent into the prostate. It feels like three bee stings, one to each lobe. But the steam injections are 50% worse. I had five. I told the doctor to keep going and did breathing exercises. I got catheterized, then flew to another island an hour later. The residual pain was a "5" that went down to a 3 by midnight.

It's been reported that the procedure disrupts digestion. I developed severe constipation. Over the counter treatments work. Yes, you can sit on a toilet with the catheter and pass stool/water. Shower after.

So why would any reasonable person do this without anesthesia? The answer is medicare. If you grit your teeth or bring a piece of rawhide, you pay nothing. The NIH rates the Rezum procedure as the most cost effective of the 7 or more procedures because it can be done outpatient with minimal staff and equipment. I know from experience that asking for anesthesia for a procedure that Medicare does not believe requires it will cost between $1000 and $2500. (I asked for it with an upper GI).

Now for some good news. The pain remained between 3 and 4 for the next 3 days. The catheter is an annoyance. I am removing mine tomorrow. My doctor specifies one day for every steam injection. The inflammation is proportionate. I found celebrex worked. Ibuprofen is an alternative.

I expect to have painful urination. I expect to have pre-surgery symptoms for up to a month. The doctor said the maximum benefit is achieved after 3 months. I was at the point where I had to get up 5 times a night AND walk around for 10 minutes before I could pass urine, so I have not had a good night's sleep in years. Another 3 months is worth the wait.

Keep taking Tamsulosin, whatever else, during the three months, then taper off.

The night I got home, I looked at a bunch of sponsored Rezum you tube videos. The patients who say the pain was not significant are shills. Read the experiences of real people. But if you have to have the problem fixed, just resolve to deal with a few minutes of intense pain.

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2 Replies

  • richard23579
    richard23579 ralphg

    Edited

    I had my Rezum procedure on Dec 15 2022 in Arizona. This was after 3 or 4 tests by the Urologist that took over 3 months to have scheduled and completed. I was getting up 3 times each night and had to go straight to a toilet whenever I stood up from sitting. Accidents started to happen and that finalized my decision. My primary physician had patients have more success with Rezum than other procedures like the Urolift. Age : 70. I took a Valium one hour before the procedure. The trans-rectal injections were not easy but were very brief. I kept telling myself I could stand anything for 5 minutes. The 8 steam injections were worse but only about 5 seconds each. I breathed through them. The catheter was in for 5 days was not pleasant. It was removed yesterday, but 150 ml of water was injected into my bladder first. But then the nurse assistant expected me to stand up immediately and pee into a plastic container. That was not possible. I was scheduled to return in 5 hours. I drank 48 ounces of liquid. When I returned, I was urinating small quantities on my own and was able to give them a UA sample. Today, I am able to urinate small amounts in a slow stream. I was told that the swelling will take 2 to 3 weeks to go down to normal. I return for check in one month. I'm hoping this will make life a little more normal for me, but it will take a few more weeks to see if that will happen.

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