REZUM--HAVE YOU HAD THIS DONE???????
Posted , 385 users are following.
I had a nice conversation today with the President of the "Urology Times". He was telling me that there is a "New Procedure" that has been approved called the "REZUM SYSTEM". The company that makes the system is called "NXThera, Inc". You can google them up and lots of stuff comes up. I called them for a referral and they gave me a Doctor in Minnepolis that has done it over 50 times now. I called his nurse and she said he would call me back and answer my questions on monday. As you guys probably know Doctors are not very good at returning calls but we'll see what happens. Iam not very good at explaining how the procedure works but basically they take the device and put it up the uretha and vaporize the prostate cells which kills them. It works with high pressure "steam" that at a certain degree will kill the prostate tissue. My question for you guys is there anybody out there that has had it done to them and how are you getting along and are there "side effects", etc etc?????
35 likes, 5645 replies
raygar13 ChuckP
Posted
I agree with less is more and after reading the protocol for the rezum procedure where the injections start 1 cm from the bladder neck left and right continuing every 1/2 cm and seperate treatments for medium lobe. I asked my urologist just before procedure if she was starting in the back and moving forward. Dont believe she followed protocol. I was the last patient that day and when the treatments reached 13, the rezum specialist said there were 2 more treatments left and she used them. I would suspect that some of the treatments were overlapping previous treatments but since the size of the prostate was xl 12 was expected. She was concious of the ejaculatory duct, we removed what feels like 50 percent of the mass of the prostate. psa to date 29.8 to 19.8 with new psa in 1 month for a final baseline. As I have stated, the treatments although a bit uncomfortable were not painful, prostate the next day no pain and just a touch of pink around the catheter (4 days_). Off flowmax week 2 and steady improvement especially month 2 to 3. ipss 22 to 8
raygar13 ChuckP
Posted
I agree with less is more and after reading the protocol for the rezum procedure where the injections start 1 cm from the bladder neck left and right continuing every 1/2 cm and seperate treatments for medium lobe. I asked my urologist just before procedure if she was starting in the back and moving forward. Dont believe she followed protocol. I was the last patient that day and when the treatments reached 13, the rezum specialist said there were 2 more treatments left and she used them. I would suspect that some of the treatments were overlapping previous treatments but since the size of the prostate was xl 12 was expected. She was concious of the ejaculatory duct, we removed what feels like 50 percent of the mass of the prostate. psa to date 29.8 to 19.8 with new psa in 1 month for a final baseline. As I have stated, the treatments although a bit uncomfortable were not painful, prostate the next day no pain and just a touch of pink around the catheter (4 days_). Off flowmax week 2 and steady improvement especially month 2 to 3. ipss 22 to 8
justinthyme ChuckP
Posted
Anybody know of a Rezum practitioner in South Florida with a sterling reputation who has performed 50+ Rezum procedures? I've seen the web site and I know the ones around... I just really want to know if someone has direct experience, first-hand knowledge - or solid second-hand knowledge.
steve19821 ChuckP
Posted
Had Rezum procedure nine days ago with nitrous and other oral meds as well as lidocaine and prostate block. I'm a 69 year old in somewhat average health. Had nine, nine second bursts which I would rate a 7 or 8 on the pain scale. Recovery has been pretty tolerable. Any discomfort has been easily controlled with Tylenol. Had Foley catheter for four days, my third Foley experience ever. Found that stabilizing the tube to your upper leg with tape or other device helps alot. I used paper first aid tape. No more tugging, which can be very painful. Used KY jelly at insertion point twice a day to cut down on adhesion. Moderate burning when peeing now with a little blood at first, but with pretty good emptying. Feeling very optimistic that I will find greater relief over the next few weeks and finally taper off of Rapaflo completely. I have a theory that the alpha blocker, Rapaflo is now giving me acid reflux after about five years. Would like to hear from anyone else on forum that seems to be having heartburn/reflux after taking prostate meds.
raygar13 steve19821
Posted
I would call the sensation as urines passes thru the urethra more sensitive than normal but not quite burning. This will pass. Noticed better volume about 2 weeks but most noticeable overall improvement between weeks 8 and 12. Leaking and ability to control urgency to urninate, became controllable. Flow gradually better. Hope this is the same for you. No heartburn when on Flowmax which I went off around week 2. Medication free and in control again, couldnt have asked for more. No retro. procedure jan 31
TKM steve19821
Posted
Steve,
Did you have nitrous oxide gas for anesthesia ? That is the first I have heard of it's use for the Rezum procedure. Can you describe more about how it worked ? Does a doctor have to have a special license to use it, like other general anesthetics ?
Thomas
tom86211 steve19821
Posted
Steve,
I take 2 Flomax per 24hrs and had a lot of stomach acid, but now take omeprazole and it solves the problem. Takes a few days to cut the stomach acid. After that is under control, cut back to every other day, then every third day because long term use or daily use of omeprazole is not recommended. Last week tried going completely off the omeprazole, but stomach acid returned, so back on it now.
Tom
raygar13 ChuckP
Posted
clinical trials of rezum post way better results. I agree that the respondants are more likely to be those with adverse effects from rezum. If bph is causing urinary problems and you ablate the cells outside the urethra the pressure should minimalize urinary problems. The procedure is a little uncomfortable but not painful, minimal to no pain after, no bleeding on my end. One key to bleeding, my urologist put me on finesteride 2 weeks prior to procedure and everything went smooth for me.
eric78101 ChuckP
Posted
After reading many of these posts, I wanted to add my 2 cents. I had Rezum done just last Monday (it't Thursday now). I'll address some of the issues I have read about and what my Doc. did.
1-Being awake during the procedure. NOT. My doc had a nice nurse stick me in the but with an injection of Midazolam. RESULT: I remember walking around in the little treatment room trying to get the stuff they poke me with circulating. Then I laid down on the table to wait - and that was the last I remember. I came to sitting in a wheelchair, dressed, catheterized and my wife talking to the nurse. It was great - I didn't remember a thing.
2-My treatment was done around 7:30am on a Monday, I went home and found that peeing through the catheter was painful - spasms and around the penis tip it was burning/stinging when the pee would blow past the catheter. This lasted through Tuesday. I did get smarter on Monday after destroying some underwear and started using some of my wife's pads. Yesterday I had very minimal urine leakage - in fact it's actually blood - and not very much at that.
3-They gave me three meds to help. Levsin/SL 0.125 MG 1 tablet under the tongue every four hrs (for spasms). Pyridium 200 MG 1 tablet after meals Orally three times a day for 2 day(s) (this was for any pain and for spasms as well) finally Bactrim for a preventative antibiotic.
Today is Thursday, day four. Spasms are mostly gone (in fact I don't know that I have felt any today), no urine blow-by, just a little blood leakage. The Pyridium turned my pee bright orange by the way. Now the next step is removing the catheter. They said to leave it in until Saturday and told my wife how to remove it.
Doc choice is important as previously noted. The first Uro I went to said that the Rezum tool was bigger than the Turp tool. Also she had so far experienced two failures in Rezum at the time of the procedure in that they had to stop as it was too painful for the patient. They are real Turp proponents. So, of course I got a second opinion. This guy had done over 250 Rezums and actually does some consulting work with the Rezum company. He was surprisingly neutral when I met with him and didn't urge me one way or the other as the other Uro did. I ended up using him and trying Rezum. I'm 57 and not ready to lose what little sexual function I have in terms of ejaculation. As I look back on my procedure, it looks like he covered all the bases to help recovery move along.
The Uro did note that there is still a failure rate with Rezum of 10 to 15% and that if by month five or six things aren't as they should be, then they will consider doing a Turp.
I'll try to report periodically on progress.
steven05114 eric78101
Posted
Eric,
.
You wrote, "This guy had done over 250 Rezums and actually does some consulting work with the Rezum company." Who did your Rezum?
.
Not that I need a new urologist as I already had my Rezum done with good results...
.
Thanks,
.
Steve
davidaami steven05114
Posted
Steve do you have a thought about how long the foley catheter should be in?
You also mentioned a way to wear the catheter that causes less trouble.
steven05114 davidaami
Posted
David,
.
On this forum, how long the Foley should be in post-Rezum seems to vary a lot between urologists. My urologist said 2 weeks. One guy who had his Rezum done by a urologist who was involved in the clinical trials only had a Foley in for a few days.
.
From my experience, the Foley should be in until the swelling goes down enough to pass a catheter. I still had some swelling episodes after the 2 weeks when I removed my Foley but the urologist gave me a stiffer reusable catheter for those events.
.
I had a Foley that had a plug on it which was a primitive value. For the 2nd week, instead of wearing a bag on my leg, I would just remove the plug every 3 or 4 hours. My logic was that this cycled my bladder so that it had some exercise.
.
Steve
kenneth1955 steven05114
Posted
Hello Everyone
After reading up on this procedure it is up to the doctor. But it is also up to how many injection you are given and how swelling the prostate will be. Some men have had it 2 days like Steven said but you have some men that have had it in for 4 weeks.
A catheter is something we have to deal with when we have a problem with a prostate or our bladder, I have had some good experience with a catheter and some bad.The spasms were out of the world but we deal with what we have to.
I have tried to do CIC and I can do it if I have to but some men can't go that way.
Listen to your doctor and do what is best for you. If you have to ware a catheter make sure it is put in right and you have enough lee way on your leg so you can still move. When I had my first one done when I had my Urolift. The next day I drove my son to the court house for jury duty and picked him up. I had no problem. You just have to watch what you do and no quick movements
Good luck to all.....Ken
raygar13 ChuckP
Posted
the length of time for a foley differs for each urologist. According to richard levin most of his rezum patients are taught to self catherize. Some dont need to after the procedure. Mine was done a 2 pm on friday and foley out on tuesday morning. According to my uro she felt more comfortable at 4 days with the difficulty being sometimes when the foley is out and you cant urinate it can be difficult to get one back in....ER Had urinary retention twice, er visits and foley out on the 3rd day. In reading a lot of men felt they healed quicker without the foley....self cath. I think 4 days is a medium number or about average. 2 weeks sounds a little long. Believe me after 3 days your ready for it to come out. No better feeling than the first urination post foley. Medication for procedure, medication finesteride before procedure and foley discussion are important discussion with your urologist. I opted for local pain block only and was able to drive myself home. The procedure isnt super painful, more like a discomfort 3 out of 10. the 9 second injections get a little warm around 7 seconds but it quickly ends and they move to a new spot. hope the information helps
kenneth1955 raygar13
Posted
Hey Ray
I know that would be a good thing but some men do not what to do CIC. I feel that 2 to 4 weeks are a lot to handle but we all heal at different rates
I had a few in for 3 or 4 days but I ended up with a catheter for 11 days the last time . I was very happy when that did come out
It all depend on how fast you heal....Ken
raygar13 kenneth1955
Posted
right you are ken, of all the procedures rezum has less trauma (swelling) to the prostate. When the cells are ablated from the energy of steam turning to water they are killed. A little swelling plus the dead cells need to be absorbed by the body. Still think 4 days is adequate for foley, but a lot of men healed faster without foley. Anything is better than an emergency trip to the ER to urinate. From her (uro) experience she felt more comfortable with 4 days when I pushed for 3. At some point you have to trust your uro.
ken19524 raygar13
Posted
Rezum also has less trauma to the urethra. In fact, I was able to self cath with the Coloplast Speedicath FR16 right after the procedure (10 steam injections), and it wasn't painful. I had not had any local anesthetic either, just the general twilight type. I think some urologists discourage self cathing right after the procedure because they think that it might be painful for the patient. But if the procedure has been done correctly, there isn't any real pain.
kenneth1955 raygar13
Posted
Hey Ray
I hope you continue to heal and get the better it just takes time
All the best.....Ken
Motto ken19524
Posted
I think my doctor did the procedure correctly and I still found it incredibly painful. With a local and drugs. I didn't have the twilight tho. Maybe I should have?
eric78101 Motto
Posted
I have posted two other responses, but they are not appearing - if a moderator is watching would you please let me know just what's up?
In the meantime, I have another few comments to make to those who are researching which procedure to go with. I was reading back through the Q&A sheet my Dr. gave me for recovery. It notes that you can go back to work (if it isn't very strenuous) the next day. HAHAHA! Sure, if you want to deal with bleeding and leaking urine AT WORK! Sure. Fortunately I have the PTO to take and then did a little working from home. Not much work from home because I have been sleeping in my overstuffed chair as it is uncomfortable to sleep flat in my bed with the catheter attached. As a result I haven't slept well and am tired during the day, plus one of the meds makes you tired and a little dizzy. Tomorrow I get my catheter out - and I hope I can pee on my own.
davidaami eric78101
Posted
Eric do you know how to do self-cathing if you need to ? Did the urologist's office show you how ?
kenneth1955 eric78101
Posted
Eric
Good luck tomorrow with the catheter and when you come home try not to sit on your prostate to much.
My the way did you get any pads to take with you for the leaking after they take the catheter out.
All the best....Ken
ken19524 Motto
Posted
Motto, I hate to say 'yes' you should have had the twilight anesthesia, because it's too late now for you. But for anyone who's reading these posts and contemplating having Rezum done, I strongly recommend it. And the other, even stronger recommendation is to learn to self-catheterize beforehand, so that you can avoid the discomfort and hassle of a Foley catheter after the procedure. It sounds like it's pretty rare for a urologist to suggest self cathing afterwards, but for me it made the whole procedure so easy. When you think about what happens anatomically to the prostate when the steam is injected into it, the swelling of the prostate is going to shut off the flow of the urine through the urethra. And it will take at least a couple of weeks or longer for that swelling to go down. That's just part of the body's normal response. The length of time will depend on a lot of things, such as prostate size, number of steam injections, etc., so it's hard to say that 3 days for 5 days or whatever, is the right length of time for a Foley catheter to be in place. That is what makes self catheterization such a benefit: you can control your own pace of recovery.
steven05114 kenneth1955
Posted
Ken,
.
You are giving some good advice here 👍
.
Steve
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
you should be able to go on your own. it is an anxious moment....first urnination post catheter. although it is possible to go to work the next day, I think taking it real easy for a couple of days is a better scenario Had 15 injections, little pink day 2 around the catheter, shockingly no pain at all in the prostate area. local only, no meds before or after except for antibiodics. Hardest thing was sitting at computer with foley in. Morning of catheter removal couldnt come fast enough, if you pass urine, even slowly you are well on your way to recovery. Last thought is about the swelling. they are not steaming or cooking the cells in the prostate. when the steam hits the cooler body temperature it turns to water very quickly and releases an energy in the transformation that kills the cells. there is minimal swelling but depending on your condition prior to rezum it could be difficult to urinate on your own, I favor self cath. even though I had foley for 4 days. look forward to seeing your positive results tomorrow....good luck
raygar13 ken19524
Posted
the worry from urologist is that the area wont allow for self cath. after my procedure 15 injections it was difficult to get foley in but the urologist had some experience and was able to get it in place in a couple of minutes. Judging from the difficulty if this happened at home, and you couldnt get the catheter into the bladder a trip to the er would be next.like i said before we are all in a different condition prior to rezum.
eric78101 steven05114
Posted
Thanks for the comments. I have been using my wife's pads but today I had her pick me up some men's depends. As for self-catheterizing, the Drs office says they want me to go to an instacare if I need it - they aren't real excited about me doing it on my own. Since I have hit my deductibles and OOP, I don't really care at this point and didn't push it. Now, that's assuming I can pee when it comes out. If I can't, then I can see that the convenience would be handy.
I'll report on it tomorrow!
james88935 eric78101
Posted
Hope that you never have to go to an Instacare, Urgent Care, or Emergency Room on a Holiday. I waited 4 hours to be catheterized on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The waiting room was at full capacity due to staff shortages. They drained 2-1L beakers from my bladder by the time I received medical attention.
kenneth1955 steven05114
Posted
Thank you Steven
Have a good day
kenneth1955 raygar13
Posted
Ray
The swelling will be different for each man. Depends on how many injection. Some with 5 injection may not have a problem with CIC but someone with 10 to 12 will. The doctor has about 15 to 30 minutes after the procedure to get the catheter in.
You may feel him putting it in but some will not because the block stops the pain and he does know a few tricks
Have a good weekend....Ken
kenneth1955 eric78101
Posted
Good luck Eric
Only time will tell....Ken
kenneth1955 steven05114
Posted
Hey Steven
Sorry the last reply was to quick.
We on here have to help other men deal with what ever they are going through. Sometimes getting a procedure and having a catheter this will be there first time. We do have other's that are pros with a catheters and have been dealing with them for years that do not have a problem.
You all know that I had the Urolift at 58 was never in a hospital and never had a catheter before but doing research on the procedure before hand I came across men that had the Urolift done and after they had the catheter taking out they could not pee and ending up at the UR to have one put in for a week.
I decided to talk with my doctor. Most of the time when they first started doing the Urolift they did not use a catheter. It was up to the doctor. I also have a problem peeing on demand. We talk and he said that it was a good idea.
This was my first catheter.Had it for 3 days really did not have a problem but I was ready for anything. After being on here read about leaking and I did not want that to happen to me. I got some male pads.
I had the procedure done on Monday afternoon and the catheter came out on Wednesday. I was told to go home and relax. Well I did not listen I went out but before I left the office I put a pad in.
It took me 15 minutes to get where I was going. At the office I got rid of a lot but when I got to the place I had to go again. I parked and got one leg out of the car and I let loose. It felt so good but I was so happy I had the pad. It took everything.
I got out went in and changed. Wednesdays for me were very busy I was not going to let this bother me or stop me. All day I was going to the bathroom that first 24 hours did burn but all was good.
The reason I'm telling you all this is that you have to be ready for anything. Do your research and listen to the other men and what they had to go through. We try to help to make it better for the ones that come after.
All the best & Good Health......Ken
davidaami eric78101
Posted
there are threads on this website about learning self-catheterrization
When you see the urologist ask for some free catheters, some free iodine, that you can take back with you.
raygar13 james88935
Posted
wow, had 2 trips to the er for urinary retention prior to rezum. by the time you realize you cant urinate, drive to the er and then they ask you to fill out forms. most uncomfortable feeling. almost painful. still they got a foley in me within 45 minutes of arrival. 4 hours would have killed me.
eric78101 raygar13
Posted
Hey all - I pulled the catheter out while taking a shower this morning and have now successfully voided twice. I wish I knew how many injections he gave me - I'll have to see if it shows in my records yet. In any case, I'm using the Depends light shields to catch small amounts of blood seeping out.
Not experiencing frequent urges or spasms. First void was about 10:00am. Second was two hours later. So, life is good right now. I of course anticipate continual improvement over the next few months. My wife asked me how my stream is compared to before the procedure -I would say it's a little weaker, but I expect that as there is still some residual swelling.
My follow up with the Dr. is 14th of August so I'll try to remember to update this at that point. I have read that some have started out ok but then regressed for some reason. I hope not!
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
congradulations. that you can go on your own is super. at the 2 week mark you will notice a pickup in stream which should gradually get better in weeks 2 to 8. overall symptom improvemnet for me was best between 6 weeks and 12. Better control over leaking and urgency ( ability to hold off urinating) got solid at 8 weeks, got a little better and I am once again in control....6 month psa in one week. 29.8 before, 19.8 at 2 months, and and and??????? since my prostate was around 150 I immediately felt the reduction in mass in the prostate are. 15 shots took a lot of the mass affecting urination out and I expect overall psa to be around 15 or 50 percent reduction. Tested negative for cancer biopsy, mri, bone scan and pelvic scan. correlation between mass removal of prostate tissue and psa seems to be consistent with a large prostate and not cancer. Possible 3T mri upcoming to get new size of prostate and another cancer screening. Happy with results both psa and symptom relief.
steven05114 eric78101
Posted
Eric,
.
Congratulations on peeing on your own again after your Rezum! I know the feeling but my 1st pee was at 4 weeks, which is not uncommon. Over the next few months, you should see steady improvement.
.
After I took the Foley out at 2 weeks, as instructed by the urologist, I could still not pee so I had to self-cath. I had 2 episodes of swelling after that which required using a stiffer catheter.
.
Bottom line, is to have some catheters around just in case.
,
Steve
TKM ken19524
Posted
Ken,
What kind of twilight anesthetic did you have ? Was it a pill or was it by IV ?
Thomas
ken19524 TKM
Posted
Thomas, it was by IV.
Ken
eric78101 steven05114
Posted
LOL. Well, last night about 10:00 I was struggling to pee and the spasms were horrible. I finally gave up trying to pee and ended up in Urgent Care just before they closed at midnight.
So, got a foley again and my doc says to keep it there until Thursday and to take my flomax as well. Fun times!
Motto eric78101
Posted
Learn how to self cath (CIC) and it will save you the trip to the ER next time. And you won't have to have an uncomfortable Foley.
kenneth1955 eric78101
Posted
Eric
I am so sorry what what you have to go through.
All the best and try to get some rest...Ken
steven05114 eric78101
Posted
I never had a problem with a Foley. I like my urologist's instructions on keeping the Foley in for 2 weeks, after which most of the swelling should be gone. Having a Foley with a valve/plug gets rid of the leg bag. Having a stiffer catheter around just in case there is some swelling helps too. My 2 cents.
.
Steve
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
still on antibiodics? Ive had the ER twice, I was like a jumping bean with the discomfort. they (uro) took mine out early 830 am and said if I couldnt urinate on my own to come back. You went on your own a couple of times? 3 or 4. was it getting more difficult each time or just all of a sudden couldnt go?
raygar13 steven05114
Posted
I agree with Foley. procedure average is 3 days. mine was 4. they urologists should teach self catheterization just in case. by the time you realize you cant go, get ready, drive to a facility or ER fill out forms and finally have Foley put in is insanely painful.
eric78101 raygar13
Posted
I took it out early Saturday and pee'd all day Saturday and most of Sunday. Stream got weaker Sunday afternoon and then ground to a halt late evening. I did note that the area around my perineum was somewhat swollen still so perhaps that was part of the problem. Fortunately I made it to an Instacare/Urgent care and didn't saddle my insurance with a huge ER bill. This period of catherization will take the total up to just under two weeks with a catheter. While they told me to remove it Thursday, I may just leave it in until Friday for good measure.
eric78101
Posted
Oh, by the way, I did just get the info on how many injections they placed. Total of 10.
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
you are at a point where flow should start picking up, I would have the urologist show you self cath. and remove foley early thursday. tough call. you should be improving daily. I'm sure this has happened to others but that you went on your own for 30 hours or so (15 times) is a little puzzling. Many men think the prostate and urethra heal better without a catheter unless you get infected a get more swelling. the initial swelling was obviously down as you went on your own for a day and a half.
kenneth1955 eric78101
Posted
Eric.
Sorry for what you are going through but with the trauma of 10 injection 2 weeks would be a lot better for the swelling to go down.
When you took it out the urethra was still open by Sunday night with you moving around and sitting walking the prostate hole closed.
All men take time to heal and some take longer. You will be fine but it will take time
Within the 2 weeks you will know if you are ready. Before you take it out check with your perineum area if it look like it is swelling leave it in another day. Having a catheter repeatedly put in is going to cause you a higher chance of a infection. I don't think you want to go through that.
Take it easy....Ken
steven05114 raygar13
Posted
I had a total of 10 injections too. A case can be made either way as to if the prostate and urethra heal better with a Foley or with self-cathing. With a Foley, it is always there possibly causing some trauma. With self-cathing, pushing it in can cause some trauma. I had no problems with the Foley. With self-cathing, I had to use a stiffer catheter 2 times to get past some swelling. As my urologist instructed, I would go with a Foley for 2 weeks.
.
Steve
eric78101
Posted
Update here. I took the catheter out yesterday early morning. Going on day two and so far so good. Passing a few small clots on occasion but otherwise stream is acceptable. Now, hopefully it will be a slow upward improvement. By the way, any experiences with sex after Rezum? My Doc said sex is ok once pee is clear and no less than 2 weeks after procedure. But I have also read suggestions that you wait for two weeks after final catheter removal. Any thoughts on that or experiences?
Thanks-
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
after foley removed a second time eric, what are the results, able to go on your own?
raygar13 steven05114
Posted
I like foley for 3 to 4 days and like they said at removal if you cant go come back. they should teach more self cath. after foley removal. but we all heal differently
steven05114 raygar13
Posted
raygar13,
.
I agree that urologists should teach more self-cath. There are a lot of guys, myself included who were self-cathing for a while before they had their Rezum so we know how to do it. It is a skill that we should all have just in case we need it.
.
Yesterday, I heard from a friend's husband who after years of doing nothing because his doctor told him only about TURP (an all too common situation), decided to have a Rezum. At the end of my email to him I said "know how to self-cath".
.
Steve
eric78101 raygar13
Posted
Today is Day three of having the catheter out. So far passing well with the occasional small blood clot which of course is expected. I noted when I removed the catheter that there was blood clotted at the opening of the catheter - and I suspect that my problem peeing last Sunday when I ended up getting another catheter put in was a larger blood clot that was blocking flow. In any case, everything is flowing very well and I'm very encouraged at this point.
kenneth1955 eric78101
Posted
Eric
That is very good Just keep drinking to flush yourself out
All the best...Ken
james50975 eric78101
Posted
Hi Eric78101
That is great news. Watch the clots they can clump together and even block the passage. My urologist told me not to over do drinking water (dont do a whole bottle at a time) this can trigger retention. More regular drinking, he recommends no more than 200mL per hour so you pee very regularly and slowly remove the clots as they form and not let them clump together too much.
All the best after more than 7 weeks of pain my whole situation looking up bleeding almost gone hence no more clots either and very happy. YOu will be too 😃
james50975
Posted
type I meant to say "not overdo the drinking water in one go" have a little bit regularly like no more than 200mL per hour
james50975 eric78101
Posted
eric78101
I asked Urologist about sex he said it will cause more bleeding but go for it, so even though the brochure says no less than 2 weeks after the procedure, I have decided to make it no less than two weeks after all bleeding (clots) has gone, to sufficient full time for healing.
No science in this but just me being cautious
I think "our boys" will tell us when they need some action 😃
raygar13 eric78101
Posted
the clotting blood makes a lot of sense for blocking the urethra. after 2 weeks with the catheter and then a day and a half urinating to have swelling block the urethra didn't make sense. infection and blood clotting are the obvious reasons. after biopsy which punctured the urethra on about the 4th sample I felt something move through the urethra, after the procedure I had a good amount of blood there. as you might imagine the next week was messy, although it never blocked my ability to urinate I was passing ribbons of blood from time to time. and after that i would notice large specks of red discharged. Was anyone else put on finesteride prior to rezum. some of you might have been on the prostate reducing medicine that also helps with bleeding to help urination. I think this was a new protocol added by my uro due to other patients bleeding. Worked wonders for me. I expected more bleeding and got little to no blood from the procedure. as the healing occurs this should dissipate and I hope your on your way to the symptom relief you desire. good luck
steven05114 raygar13
Posted
I was on the combination of finasteride and tamsulosin (Flomax) for over 9 months before my Rezum.
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There is a classic study called the Combination of Avodart and Tamsulosin (CombAT) study that involved over 4000 men and lasted for over 4 years that is worth reading (at least the summary). Many urulogists follow the CombAT approach, including the urologist that I originally worked with (another one did my Rezum) to see if the drug combination will work before considering surgery. It did not work for me.
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I had blood clots for the first 2 weeks that I had a Foley but none ever blocked the catheter. Because I did not open up for another 2 weeks, I was self-cathing after the Foley was removed, and I did get 2 clots from dead prostate tissue that did block the catheter. They were distinguished from the blood clots by being more pink to white in color compared to the very red blood clots.
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Steve