PAE... Sounding better and better!

Ronnie,

I will forward any addl. Drs. I come across,  as I am in the research process as well as the Doc hunt.   However, the Drs. You mention I have not heard of,   I spoke with Inova in Alexandra Va as well as RIA in Greenwood Village, Colorado actually this morning,   And specifically asked each the Drs. Names  who are conducting the procedure and neither made mention of the ones in your post,  hmm.   I wonder if they are not meeting "par standards".??   As far as I   "currently"   know, only these 2 places are doing them in the U.S.

I would like to ask a question in regards to the Urolift,  does anyone know if they can be seen in an X-ray?  Or any other method?   My doc says he "thinks" he put in 5 of the devices, and has not given me an exact answer, (which is one reason I have an appt with another urologist who now does the Urolift , that plus he is only 10 miles away not 100.)

Have great day all,  I appreciate all feedback! (Good or Bad.)

Um, yeah, I too would be concerned, if my uro-doc couldn't tell me exactly how many implants he'd installed!  

You say this new guy "now does the Urolift.."  There are doctors in my area (north of Phila, but I had to look in NYC or Balto area at the time) who also "now do the Urolift," but as I've mentioned before, it was worth it for me to fly 2000 miles to Salt Lake, to be treated by the most experienced guy in the country, Steve Ganges.  I was not willing to be some newby's experimental experience.  My own urologist caught up with the Urolift after I did, and said, "I'll be certified in November and will 'do you' in December."  Um, really?  Nooooo, thank you!

As for traveling... it's a valid, deductible medical expense at taxt time!  :-)

I'm discovering that as time goes by, questions come to the forefront.

     

When I had mine done, 1 yr. ago, this procedure was in its infancy  stage in the U. S.  and finding anyone with any "real" time tested experience was near impossible,  I spoke with a Doc in the Los Angeles area and he was willing to do a cash deal, fly in on one day and do the procedure the next day and then fly home the next.  What about follow ups? Problems? Etc.?   So I contacted Urolift directly in Pleasanton Calif. and they referred me to my Doc in Fresno Ca.  A large firm  "Urology Group of Central California"  about 10 uroligsts, so I figured they must have it together,  they even have a division in a seperate bldg called "Dept of Sexual Health" where they held a Q&A session that I attended one evening, all in regards to the Urolift, they even had a Urolift Representitive there as well.   So I felt that I was in very good hands.  But when the answer I got in regards to how many implants were used on my prostate, I was a little taken back.  I informed Neo-Tract (Urolift corporate).   So any ways, that was why I asked the question about detecting them in an x-ray.

I know one thing for sure,  when the Dr realized that I was referred to him by Urolift, I was being treated, I felt like with "CarteBlanch"  then as time went by I felt like a number, and one of the sheep.   

He may have the information filed away, and just too busy,  but however as of this day I still do not have a clear answer.

Don't forget Dr Nutting in Denver I think he has done over 50 - re bladder, if you do PAE the bladder can recover after a while if it wasn't too damaged

Yes, Mike, re the recovering bladder.  Mine was severely distended, for years, likely, while I refued to admit to, or deal with what I knew was a problem (CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OTHERS!  Of course, if they are ignoring a similar problem, they won;t be here reading this!  :-P  ).  As a result, my bladder was retaining fluid, remaining stretched out, for deades, probably.  Dr. Gange, my Urolift guy in Salt Lake said it would be three or four months before we saw the bladdr back in a state of "normal."  Well, here we are 4 1/2 months post-op, and my accomodating bladder is willing to hold up to 800cc without complaining!  Not what's good, as that's close to having fluid back up into the kidneys, which really prefer no pressure on them at all, especially from the bladder end of things.  

So now I am monitoring carefully, cathing twice daily, just to keep the pressure off, and still winding up draining sometimes as much as 600 or 700cc of liquid.  Other times, it's as little as 300cc.

At this point, I (a yoga practioner for 17 years) am about to investigate whether there are any yoga-related exercises that might activate the bladder's emptying mechanisms and earlier, or help it to more completely void.  I'll consider any and all options and possiblities!  :-)

It might be a coincidence but you are the second person I know who has to cathe after Urolift. I've seen a few people say how great PAE is but not one who says Urolift was the greatest decision they ever made.

If you discover a way to help the distended bladder let us know. My understanding is that when they say the bladder can return to normal that is from it being thickened rather than distended. The other guy said his Urolift surgeon claimed he had tribeculation - thickening if I understand.

I am happy to have had the Urolift.   My permanently-stretched-out bladder is a seperate question from the enlarged prostate having squeezed the urethra shut.  When Dr. Gange and I discussed this question, pre-op, it was noted that my bladder would likely not "recover," as it had retained large amounts of fluid for some time.  

The Urolift went fine, but the bladder question has not.  As I understand, the small box-like muscles that make up the bladder are quite different from the long strand-like muscles of, say, a bicep.  Those small box-like structures when stretched too far, give up and don;t bounce back!  In my case, my bladder was drained of 2.5 LITERS of the Golden Liquid, when I got an emergency cathing in August 2014... 

We used to wonder about my father in laws fat tummy. One day he had a fall and when the paramedics came he was passing blood. At the hospital he was drained of about what you were.

The URL doesn't link correctly, take the gobbledegook off the end or try searching for Society of Interventional Radiology then scroll down until you see doctorr finder in the left side

Thank you PAEgreat, I will search that link!

William,

Thank you for that lead!  Nice to hear that the PAE definately worked for you.  In reading on, it appears that Stan38413 also give Dr. Issacson a thumbs up as well!   I do see where Stan mentions that his cost was 6700.00,    I called to 2 different Drs. In the Virginia area and in Colorado and the cost at one of the places was $12,000.00 and $13,000.00 at the other.  Important to know due to it not being FDA approved (yet) some insurances will not cover.   Still in the research phase!