Post Turp experience

Posted , 4 users are following.

I had the Turp operation just before my 84th birthday. The original problem was diverticulosis of my bladder combined with some restriction beween the bladder and the penis. This resulted in frequent but scanty urination especially at night. Eah morning my abdomen was swollen, particularly on the right side and after an ultrasound examination I was referred to the urology dept of a NZ hospital. The initial treatment was to train (or attempt to) me to self-cathetarisation. This was something of a disaster. The nurse helped me insert the catheter but as the insertion proceeded I felt considerable resistance and pain but this diminished somewhat and we continued the insertion until a second barrier occured. Continuing further the nurse was, I think, a bit surprised that there was no urine flow and as she withdrew the catheter a considerable amount of blood came out. She said this wasn't unusual but added that there seemed to be a blockage in the uretha and proposed that this should be investigated further and put me on the list for an endoscopic ehamination. I returned home still bleeding and within a few days developed an aggressive infection which did not respond to antibiotics and became a serious threat to my life. I was admitted under emergecy to the hospital and treatment with antibiotics and saline drip started immediately. The next day I had a catheter inserted (somewhat apprehensively given my previous experience with one) and from thereon there was an immediate improvement. After four days in hospital I returned home with a catheter in place and for about seven months managed this with no real problems.

Eventually, I was scheduled for the TURP procedure with spinal block anesthetic. All went well, the operation took place late afternoon and the following day I was allowed to get up and walk around carrying the very large urine bag. The following day the three way catheter was removed and I was required to pee into a bottle. The nurse was quite impressed with the volume and told me if I passed the three bottle test and my retention was low I could go home. Which is what happened.

My recovery was almost text-book. I bled for about five to six days then a clear urine space of about 10 days and then a resumption of bleeding which only lasted 2-3 days. Urine stream excellent and remained so. Some bladder spasms started a few weeks after this and still persist but reducing in frequency and severity. I have had ED for quite a few years but this morning awoke with an erection harder than I had experienced for some 15 years (and I do not think this was due to a need to urinate as I had emptied my bladder about two hours previously) About the retrograde ejaculation I cannot really comment but I did have a nocturnal orgasm a week or so back which awoke me but there did not appear to be any discharge of semen although once my penis has completely softened there appeared to be quite a lot of fluid.

Now, some 10 weeks after the operation I have resumed all normal exercise and feel pretty well fully recovered.

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    Thanks for posting this. I am due to have a TURP on 4th April and am glad to know it can work well. There seem to be so many posts on this website with negative views on TURP. I wish you continued good progress and hope my procedure works as well!
  • Posted

    Hi, Roy. Thanks for your comprehensive post. You certainlycovered most, if not all the relevant events in considerable detail. This is what I am sure subscribers to this site will find to be of greatest value. On behalf of us all, thanks!

     

  • Posted

    Regarding your first experience with a catheter, it would appear that a wrong oversized tube was inserted. Some inexperienced nurses do not know that there is a smaller size. You have had the quickest recovery time with TURP that I have heard yet from the support group on these posts and I wish you continued good health. I am in your age group.
    • Posted

      I think you are right Lester. Of course, being the first time that I had seen a catheter I had no idea what to expect. Unfortunately this created for me a very negative view on catheterisation so that I was very apprehensive when I was admitted to the hospital and told a catheter insertion was essential in my treatment. I need not have worried. The long term catheter was quite different from the one used for self-catheterisation  being very soft and flexible as against the rather stiff and inflexible one. In fact I had it in place for some seven months, with several replacements carried out by the district nurse and once into the daily routine of washing out the night bag managed it very well.
  • Posted

    I once had retention and the emergency doc couldn't get the catheter past the blockage in my prostate. He called the urologist who use a thicker catheter which worked fine. Sometimes this is better because it is less likely to 'kink' during insertion. The self-catheters I've been given are smaller and more flexible which has usually been fine, but once I myself had to get a thicker catheter in order to be able to comfortably 'push through.'
    • Posted

      I'm exactly in this same situation. Migrating from the Red Rubber to the Hydrophilic class of catheter I started with a 14 Fr. this went through "like a dose of salts" to quote an old English expression. These were free samples so I got back to my supplier to order the same, but the next size up,16 Fr.

      Lo and behold, my Uro had stated 14 Fr. on the order, instead of leaving this field blank, so the supplier was locked into this one size. Uro is away on vacation so I couldn't get the larger 16 Fr.

      So I thought,"What the heck, Went through fine just three days ago so go ahead with another 14 Fr."

      Wrong call!

      The catheter "kinked", thus applying considerable lateral pressure to the epithelium of my urethra. The situation was aggravated by the inherent slickness of these catheters; they provide very little feedback.

      The event drew a small amount of blood, so the potential for a UTI was significant. So, here I am waiting for lab results. These could be bacteruria, staphylococcus, e-coli, or enterobacter cloaca. Who knows, it might be something entirely new to me.

      One thing is certain, however, I will be having a little chat with my Uro as soon  as he gets back from his vacation!

      Conclusion: catheter size can be quite critical. On that happy note, I wish you all a Happy Easter!

      Alan.

       

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