Second TURP

To more directly answer your question, "yes", Foley's are often used pre-surgery as well as post surgery. You don't want your bladder over expanded. Not good for you now, and not good for your post operative results if you go ahead with the TURP. Self cathing, does the same thing. But sounds like you need one or the other now. Otherwise the bladder will stretch out more, lose tone, and potentially the urine will back up into the kidneys (hydronephrosis) if it hasn't already. At least this is the way it sounds from your description, but none of us here have your medical records, nor are we doctors.

Jim

Jim

Yes, had a Foley and bag for a week after the first TURP. Not much question of tolerating the Foley catheter as you don't get the option here in UK under the NHS. If you have a TURP you wake up with a Foley in place, no choice!

Waiting list for surgery is at least 8 weeks and surgeon would not entertain self catheterisation.

Pete

Hi Pete,

Forgive my ignorance on this side of the pond, but how exactly does it work there? Do you have any choice regarding which doctor to see? What if you don't like what the doctor recommends? Do any of them take patient input on treatment, etc, well? 

Here, under Medicare, if you don't like what one doctor says, you just go to another doctor. You could see five different urologists in a month. No limit really.  You don't even need a referral, just call up the office and make an appointment.

Not every doctor is enrolled to accept Medicare patients, but the majority are, and almost all of them accept Medicare if they work in a teaching hospital. So, you really have a pretty big choice. Medicare isn't free, but it is significantly less than what I used to pay with private insurance. 

Jim

Hi Jim

Over here you are referred to the Consultant Urologist at your nearest hospital by your G.P. 

You take what they recommend i.e. surgery and placed on the waiting list or if you decline you are sent back to your G.P. for your condition to be managed by him/her with medication.

You can ask your G.P. to refer you to another Consultant for a second opinion but you will have to pay if you want to be seen anytime soon.

Very few take patient input well and are convinced that as the professional they know what is best.......which I suppose is correct.

Pete

Well, the down sides of National Health, eh?  In these respects, we in The Colonies have a more open approach (at least, those of us to take an ACTIVE interest in our health...).

"(The dpctprs) are convinced that as the professional they know what is best.......which I suppose is correct." 

Well, if you explore this site a bit, you will find many instances of others who made the suppositions that you did--- and suffered, some mightily, for their blind trust.  We also have MANY examples of people (and I'm one) who either sought a second opinion or went looking on our own (I did both) and our lives are MUCH better than they might have been, had we trusted our urologist.

And it's not such uro-docs; on Friday I took my wife to have her wrist put into a cast after a fall.  We had seen the X-ray that showed the fractures.  The orthopedist missed the fractures when he looked at the X-rays, and told us, "Nothing's broken; I'll splint the arm and you'll be fine."  I had to insiste that he take another look at the X-rays, which he did, and then said, "Oh, yes, you're right: it IS fractured.   We left with her arm in a cast.  

Professionals know what is best?  Why does my cartoonist's mind suddenly conjure up a sketch authored by John Cleese???  Imperious doctors, indeed!  

Professionals know what is best?  I never make that assumption; between mistakes, attitude and ignorance, they can screw up as much as we can... and the results can be awful.   

Caveat emptor!

 

Peter,

So you have to pay extra to see someone for a second opinion right away? Is it a one time fee, or are you actually just paying full out of pocket for the second opinion doctor?

I concur with Cartoonman. The professionals don't always know what is best. How can they when they routinely make life altering judgements sometimes in less than a minute? And once they "diagnose" you, that's usually it. They are not big on revisiting their "thinking". 

Jim

Not a one time fee....if you follow his advice and further consultations are necessary you pay for everything including any surgery he recommends.

Cartoonman seems to forget that we do not pay for G.P. consultations or initial consultants fees at the NHS hospital. It's only when we question the diagnosis and request second opinions that the fees kick in.

In other words, keep quiet, put up and shut up and accept the recommendations of the Urology Consultant if you want to remain financially viable!!

Peter

THE SYSTEM'S RIGGED AND THE DOCTORS WIN!   A little worse than what we have here, sad to say (for you).   It really is a bad deal, as you are almost compelled to trust these guys, if you are not independently wealthy.   My aunt in Kent, was a nurse until she retired... and has nothing nice at all to say about National Health...

But that is not right.  Your giving up your rights and you should not have something done to you if you don't like it.  You have a choise..PLease look into something else there has to be a why.  They have to be stopped  Ken  

Sorry...the procedure is done by an Interventional Radiologist. 

Yes that is correct.  Don't be talked into it.  Try the PAE or even the urolift  Had mine done a year ago.I'm good ...Good luck Ken