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PAE Dr G Schlaphoff in Sydney

Posted , 8 users are following.

Royse
Royse

Has anyone had experience with Dr G Schlaphoff in Sydney who does PAE? He is supposed to be the top Intervention Radiologist in Australia.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • mike588
    mike588 Royse

    Posted

    I had PAE twice with him, didn't work - he claimed my large median lobe would not be a problem. I know someone else who had it with him and it was a major success, and Dr S told me all his patients were a success before me.

    What I don't like is I should have been on a catheter after the procedure since I got totally blocked up and I think that caused damage to my bladder trying to force the pee out. Took at least a week.

    Having said all that, could be his technique has improved, he and all the team are really nice and caring people I have nothing bad to say, could be I was unlucky.

    • Royse
      Royse mike588

      Posted

      Thanks Mike. I hope you get yourself sorted out. I was told that a couple of men in Sydney had major problems after PAE; had part of their bladder embolised by mistake. You don’t know what to believe about these procedures. Royse
    • mike588
      mike588 Royse

      Posted

      That would not surprise me. For all I know that happened to me too but probably it just embolized the wrong part of the prostate as evidenced from an MRI image.. Did you find out if they were able to correct the problem?
    • Royse
      Royse mike588

      Posted

      I have not committed to anything as yet. Two urologists told me that urolift would not fix my problem, only TURP.

      A third one in Sydney has now told me that urolift is the best option with least side effects. I asked him what about my enlarged median lobe? He said that it would move that out of the way. It turns out that my prostate is not really big, only median lobe pushing into my bladder.

    • oldbuzzard
      oldbuzzard Royse

      Posted

      Rezum might be a better option if an enlarged median lobe is your main problem.
    • Royse
      Royse oldbuzzard

      Posted

      Thanks old buzzard. I’ll keep it in mind.
    • joe34587
      joe34587 Royse

      Posted

      Hi Royse,

      I had a PAE with Dr. Schlaphoff at Liverpool hospital in Sydney about 15 months ago. It was painless, took 2 or 3 hours, no catheter and up and around within a couple of days.

      Went from dreadful urgency, looking for loo's every hour or two, up 5 or 6 times every night, 2 flomax a day, one UTI and too much retention... to now sleeping through the night (some nights wake up once, other times not at all.) No more urgency, 3 - 6 hours between loo visits... actually just don't think about it any more. I can play golf again without a loo strategy... now when I hit out of bounds it is actually just a bad shot!

      My urologist had warned me against the "dangerous" PAE procedure and strongly recommended a turp. He said they might accidentally embolize some wrong areas.Having done the procedure think it more likely that there is some risk from the radiation but it is a measured risk.

      But Dr Schlaphoff took the time to discuss things with me and I concluded there was more risk with a turp than with a PAE. In reading the scientific studies, I could not find any PAE patients that had any permanent damage from an errant embolization. With turp the risk was retrograde, non performance,etc...

      By the way post PAE everything does just what it is supposed to do... 😃

      Incidentally I did speak with the inventor of Rezum when in New York (prior to my PAE.) He seemed like a good guy and the procedure made sense to me. However the people who have had it done seem to describe a pretty terrible recovery process and quite a few did not seem to gain lasting benefits.

      Hard to know for sure what is best - all in all I am happy with the PAE and with Dr. Schlaphoff.

    • mike588
      mike588 joe34587

      Posted

      Royse,

      Curious how you survived without a catheter the first 7 days - it nearly killed me after PAE I couldn't pee for a week and it burnt like hell when I managed to get a few drops out - glad it worked for you, I had 2 PAEs with Dr S and it didn't do anything. I'm pretty sure it did not embolize the right areas of the prostate, at least so far I don't think it did any damage at least except to my bladder from not being able to pee for a week. The second time I think they might have given me steroids so I could pee OK I don't remember now except it wasn't as bad.

  • mike588
    mike588 Royse

    Posted

    Urolift might be worth a try, you can scan for that in discussions about Urolift and median lobe if I remember some say it IS an issue. I had FLA done after I went into retention (look it up in discussions) - I'm reasonably happy with it, the surgeon told me since he did me knowing what he knows now he would have been a bit more aggressive that's why my result wasn't 100% effective.

    I have a friend in Sydney who had green light and is very happy with results, I don't know which surgeon or hospital but I think Medicare paid.The main thing is not to wait too long like I did. That's another reason I don't like PAE because you have to wait longer thinking the benefits could still "kick in" it's a horrible wait not knowing.

    • joe34587
      joe34587 mike588

      Posted

      Hi Mike,

      Just curious where/with whom did you get the FLA done - was it in Oz? I have had a PAE with good results but still have a large median lobe that presses into the bladder and can cause some retention. Just wondering if there is a doctor in Australia who offers this?

      Thanks mate.

      Joe

  • richard70812
    richard70812 Royse

    Posted

    Hi Royse,

    I underwent a PAE conducted by  Dr. Glen Schlaphoff and his assistant Dr. Julian Catt in February 2016 at the Liverpool Hospital in Sydney. At the time i believe i was the 15th patient to  have this done by Dr. Schlaphoff

    The results have been fantastic with very little discomfort at the time of the procedure and a complete reversal of the symptons i had exhibited prior to the procedure.

    I am 71 years old now and maintain a good level of fitness.

    Prior to undergoing the PAE i had undergone several visits to highly credited

    Urologists in Sydney with transrectal biopsies and other investagative procedures

    being performed. Towards the end of this i was being advised that i would require a TURP which is something i was not at all interested in at all.

    I became aware of the PAE procedure by a television program and Dr. Schlaphoffs

    involvment. 

    I found Dr. Schlaphoff to be a very thorough and pleasant person to deal with.

    I have read some reports of varying success with PAE but i am convince that patient suitability is paramount.

    IF i can be of any help Royse please do not hesitate in contacting me.

    Regards

    Richard 

    • Royse
      Royse richard70812

      Posted

      Thanks for telling your very positive story Richard. Just wondering, did you have a median lobe enlargement? Kind regards, 

      Royse

    • mike588
      mike588 richard70812

      Posted

      Richard I think I also had my first failed PAE around that time like mid Feb I was around patient # 30. They are all great, caring people at Liverpool hospital that is all very nice but it didn't help me.

      The trouble is I don't believe they have a clue who is "suitable". As a patient one is throwing the dice that they will embolize the precise point that will kill the precise prostate tissue. They also don't have proper post op procedures, after first PAE I was just given some pain killers which did nothing and could barely pee for a week. I should have been on a Foley Catheter for a week or taught how to self catheter.

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