Post GreenLight Laser Surgery Recovery
Posted , 59 users are following.
I had GL surgery four days ago and would appreciate feedback regarding the recovery process from those that have also undergone this procedure. I currently void every 30 to 60 minutes at night and every 30 to 60 minutes during the day. My flow is a stream for a few seconds then dribbles for maybe 30 seconds. Is this pretty typical? After the surgery I was drinking 1 1/2 liters of water per day but I may reduce this because I am not convinced my bladder is emptying fully. What do you think about this? When I void, it really burns at first and often I will get bladder spasms as well. Do you think the pain is radiated pain from where the prostate was vaporized? Do you think I will see improvement with these symptoms on a daily basis or weekly basis over the next month or so?
3 likes, 165 replies
david_25315 jim0601
Edited
I'm about 100 days post GL and situation for me has resolved completely;
Urgency as a result of surgery resolved (probably took 5 weeks to settle)
Blot clotting stopped at about 5 days.
Lots of burning passing water.
Stopped using a pad at 8 weeks.
Urgency stopped 2 about 8 weeks.
Flow has improved a little bit ( still not race-horse category) but acceptable.
No regrets (although 2 weeks I really was wondering what I had got my self into.)
david04187 jim0601
Posted
I posted my situation the other day. As far as the days post GL- I was pretty active immediately. I couldn't wait to get off the table. I cringed what was done what was done and going home with the catheter. After the catheter was removed I had extensive stinging (penis) for a few days. I got used to the stinging. Sitting and grasping the tolilet seat when urinating and of course the blood. My doctor repeatedly said keep drinking water AND juice/gatorade. The blood did lighten up the more I drank. After about 3 weeks the blood was usually at the beginning of the urination and once in a while quite bloody. Although it looked at times that there was no bleeding there was still a red sediment at the bottom of the bowl. The bleeding did completely stop at about week 5. I started full activities once the blood stopped but I did excercise after about 3 weeks (at an easy/slower pace). The procedure didn't hold me back from doing any of my major daily activities (work, theater,walking,transportation).
My stream is definitley much stronger now but I don't see any other improvement yet.
I have mostly bad nights. (hourly). It's hard for me not to drink after a certain hour but when I do I seem to faire better.
At the 6 week follow up, the Dr. said everything I'm feeling is normal and give it time. So I will have another followup in 3 months. My days aren't too bad but I sometimes have to go again immediately after a main urination.
I haven't had any incontenent issues (never did before or after).
The other MAJOR thing that disturbs me is ejaculation. I wasn't informed of the rentrograde ejaculation. I didn't even know what that meant until I logged into this site. It is unsettling but hopefully that will also get back to some sort of normal.
I am up to 7 weeks since surgery and I still feel a slight discomfort only when I start a flow. I was hoping that each day/night that I would see differences but can't say I have except the stronger flow (I do drink more liquids daily). I get very down about having the procedure but my Dr.'s seems to have confidence that I will see a major difference with time. So stay optomistic...it will take time (I hope).
Lou1110 jim0601
Edited
I had GL surgery June 23 2016. I stayed overnight at the hospital for observation. The nxt morning the cat here was removed and I was tested for urine flow. I passed the test and was sent home with prescriptions for antibiotic, pain (if required) and constipation pills. I just finished my antibiotics and continuing on my constipation pills for another week. I'm satisfied so far with my progress but there are a few issues. The number one issue is the getting up every hour and half to pee. Have to force but it comes out. There has been no blood for about 6 days. I love to walk and try to do 10 to 15k steps per day. So far it's working out. I went back to work, I do office type work four days after the surgery. I lost weight , about 5 lbs but it appears to be all muscle mass. I had been wearing a cat here since the beginning of February and my exercise was limited. I am an avid tennis player and obviously could not play during that time. I'm also a cyclist and have not been able to ride yet. Other problems include wearing a pad when going for a long walk to minimize the waiting to urinate, I just go as required. It takes some getting used to. The sleeping is my major concern getting every hour and half is something that I hope will get better. I'm also looking forward to see how this will affect our sex life. I will be posting my progress. I would need to do more research on what to expect after GL surgery. If anyone has good educational and informational web sites to suggest I would be very interested in pursuing.
I'm looking forward to some progress in terms of ability to do more exercise. I'm In my mid sixties and looking forward to getting back to an acceptable quality of life.
david04187 Lou1110
Posted
Hi-
I had the GL done in Oct 2015.
Recovery went well. Normal bleeding for about 4 weeks and some discomfort. But still getting up a few times a night and urges during the day,
I have gone for follow-ups since still complaining that the surgery was unsucessful. The Dr. has tried different meds in the past few months (Veslcare,,Detrol LA, Myrbetriq) and in different combos. I even tried an antibiotic in case I had an infection.
At my last visit 2 weeks ago the Dr. has put me on 2 weeks of Veslcare and OXybutynin. I am finishing these last instructions and then getting all my files and seeking another Dr. My Dr. originally told me that I was a good candidate (98% sucess rate) for the surgery. My original issues was only getting up so many times in the night and day urges. I did not have any other prostate issues(cancer, high psa levels,etc.). So I am not a happy camper. In addition my Dr. didn't tell me that I would have rentrograde ejaculation (I didn't even know what that was until after). My sex life is fine as far as erections and climaxing but not happy with not ejaculating.(it mixes with urine and tends to be sudsy).
My day urges subsided a bit & I can live with that but the nights are really bad (sometimes up to 5x in 8 hours).
I don't know if I fell into the 2% of my Drs. patients or my surgery shouldn't have done at all. I will not follow up with him at this point. I will see what a new Dr. says once I transfer my med files.
bob120 david04187
Posted
I had two GL's one in June 2012' and a second in Dec 2013. Neither provided good result in terms of night frequency. In April 2015 I had a classic turp to stop a hematuria of the prostate and bladder neck. PVR is good, daytime frequency and urgency is good. At night I still get up 3 or 4 times. I use a bedside urinal, go in the dark and go right back to sleep.
derek76 jim0601
Posted
I had the advantage over you by not having had a a catheter previously.
When checked a couple of ees after the procedure my retention was less than 100mls.
moyboy jim0601
Posted
I have just had the same as jim0601 and now on day 5 and still hurts like hell. I manage to get out around 50-75 ml each time I go which is at the same rate (hourly). I don't drink after 10pm and still go all night so know my bladder doesn't empty. Its not what I expected and currently its a crappy way of life as I'm tired from waking up hourly, burning like hell when I do go which puts me off going. I expected a decent flow of some sorts from day one but no such luck. Why after all this time are you expected to suffer incredible pain and I'm sure my pain threshold is average as most guys. The pain is caused by the urethra being bashed about in surgery etc so kill the pain and it wouldn't be bad at all.
derek76 moyboy
Posted
bob120 moyboy
Posted
david04187 bob120
Posted
Hi Bob-
So would you say the surgery was a sucess after the recovery of bleeding and pain.
If you saw my last comment about my GL process here is the latest.
I did see a referred Dr. The positvie side is that he said my initial Dr. went through the steps he would have taken The new Dr. wanted to start the process all over (proceures: scope first). I am refraining and not going through it again. I rather get up a few times in the night (sometimes only 3) than taking the risk of any additional harm. I took the advice of one of the other members in the discussion. During the day I refrain from acting on my urges and the need seem to pass. It is difficut to refrain at night (horizontal position? Feeling the urge when you want to sleep?) But..this may condition the amount of times you go in the night. I might have gotten in down to 1 or 2 less visit s duirng the night. I will try anything non-evasive. So we'll see how it goes. I am lucky that I strictly have the frequent urination problem (original diagnosisL tissue betwen bladdier and prostate).
bob120 david04187
Posted
Hi David, I commented about a month ago that I had two GL lasers about 18 months apart and neither lasted more than about 18 months. About 15 months ago I had a turp and that has lasted so far. I've had other health issues in the last 6 months and last night I got up every hour on the hour from 12:30 to 6:30. However I use a bedside urinal in a plastic bag lined wastebasket on the side of my bed. This lets me sit on the edge of the bed, pee in the dark and get back to sleep in minutes. This is the best solution for nocturia I have come up with. I don't restrict my liquids or try to control my urges. During the day I go several hours between trips to the bathroom but reclined at night my kidneys just pump away. I also get very large volumes. Last night I voided 3-1/2 liters, about 500ml per void.
The main consideration on procedures is that you can get a decent stream and have a low pvr (post vid residual). I have a decent stream and a pvr of 32ml after my turp. After the GL's my pvr was still in the 125ml+ range.
Regarding less invasive there is a thread on this forum called Has anyone out there had a "Prostate Artery Embolization?? thtat I have been following. A few people had bad experiences but most are happy with the results. The procedure inserts beads in the arteries leading to the prostate that glue them shut (like they do with varicose veins). The result is a large shrinkage of the prostate. Due to the few bad outcomes reported, I am still on the fence on this. Presently I take dutasteride to keep my prostate frome regrowing. With my own experience I would say the turp was preferable to both of my GL laser procedures. I wouldn't recommend the GL laser to anyone.
zdzislaw bob120
Posted
bob120 zdzislaw
Posted
How long ago did you have the greenlight laser procedure? What kind of incontinence do you experience? Is it a large volume or just a teaspoon or so? Occasioanlly I will have incontinence immediately following a void. I feel like I emptied out, but a half a minute later an ounce or so of urine comes out without me feeling it. As a result I wait about a minute after peeing so I'm sure I'm done, and blot myself with aa tissue or toilet paper.
tjs17151 zdzislaw
Posted
You're certainly not alone. Very little time between urge and voiding. I have noticed it's only a partial void and when the proper facility is reached, a complete void is achieved
zdzislaw bob120
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I had GL completed with TURP three months ago. I have huge night incontinence. Changing the pads twice during the night! Despite waking up to pee avery hour and a half. During the day I don't really need pads, but the nights....Besides, the slightest sexual arousal causes leaking (???). No sex life. I am 76.
zdzislaw tjs17151
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What about your nights??? I don't wake on time...
bob120 zdzislaw
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I have only wet the bed a couple of times in the past year. I also get up every 1 to 2 hours at night. I have a couple of 1 liter urinals in a basket by my bed so I just need to sit on the edge of the bed to pee in the dark and get back to sleep. I am on diuretics for atrial fibrillation so I can pass anywhere from 1-1/2 liters to as much as 3-1/2 liters during 8 hours at night. Are you on any meds that make you sleep deeply? The only thing I would suggest is you get a sonogram of the prostate and bladder to measure your PVR (post void residual). Mine was only 32ml, on my last sonogram. If you are not emptying completely (eg., have a pvr of 100 to 200ml), that would explain the leaking and the night time frequency. Also if you have a protrusion of the median lobe into the bladder, that can cause a valve type intermittant blockage of the bladder mouth.
They do have implantable artificial sphincters that you can control, but that sounds like a last resort. I'd rather use the pads at night and pee before sex.
tito05214 bob120
Posted
After having prostate obstructive problems for many years, the bladder suffers irreversible changes that can't be corrected by the surgery. One common problem is that the bladder has a small capacity and needs to empty more frequently. Also, Overactive Bladder Syndrome is common, which gives you urinary symptoms. The surgery only opens the bladder neck but does not cure the overactive bladder and doesn't enlarge the bladder capacity.
Will03030 tito05214
Posted
I had GL performed 4 days ago. Day surgery and send home with a cath until it's removal tomorrow. I'm 66 years old and for the most part in reasonably good health except for the prostate / bladder issue. My prostate had been giving me problems for the past 6 years or so. Initially I took daily cialis to help with both BPH and mild ED. Early this year voiding became an issue and I never felt empty. When to a new urologist in the Boston area and he said I double up on Tamsulosin (I had been taking it once a day for about a year) in addition to the daily cialis. After a month of this my PVR numbers were still very high...I was just not getting much out of my bladder at any given time. He was very concerned about potential bladder failure, etc down the road. So he we scheduled a GL procedure and I had an indwelling catheter for 3 weeks until the procedure. He said the procedure went very well and so far I'm cautiously optimistic. As I mentioned I am removing the Cath tomorrow and then heading to his office later in the day to asses things. So far with the cath still in me I've had some bleeding when I deficate (due to spasms) but this has gotten much better in the past two days. In my urine there was a little blood the first day but nothing (knock on wood) since then. There has been some discomfort where the cath enters my penis but that's to be expected and is helped by Neosporin (with pain relief). My big concern of course is any large amount of retention after the cath is removed. If need be I'll be be doing some PT to improve the pelvic floor muscles (my urology group has a great PT section). I'll keep everyone updated as I can.