The Urolift procedure; patient views and questions
Posted , 264 users are following.
Would it be possible to keep this thread purely about Urolift and a means of sharing experiences from those who have undergone the process and invite debate from those considering it.
The Urolift process plus pros and cons are accurately described at many a website. Other very long threads discuss in detail BPH and other treatments such as TURPS, laser tend to overshadow people looking for advice on Urolift.
So for me, tired of getting up in the night. Tired of the medication and its side effects, tiredness and ED. Quality of life getting me down. I am 60 and reckon to be pretty fit and active.
I underwent this treatment (as an alternative to TURPS) 2 weeks ago at one of the 5 or 6 clinics/hospitals that appear to offer this treatment in the UK. It really was as simple as described on the web.
I had a 30 minute consultation with the consultant whereby he explained the procedure.
The treatment was booked for 10 am., it took about 15 minutes. I had it done under a local anaesthetic. To be frank if you are used to having your prostate and other bits probed there is no pain. It is just the thought of it you have to come to terms with. After the treatment you have to drink a lot of water to flush your system but I was allowed to drive home by dinner time.
First warning here. I did have to stop probably every 15 minutes with a sudden need to urinate. Fortunately I took a urine bottle from the clinic !
I could write for ages but will see what response I get to this post. I know on the day I was there, 4 other blokes were having the procedure and I sensed there was a regular flow of patients.
I’m now going through the period whereby I’m asking myself is there any improvement? It’s only 2 weeks in. I’m not sure is the answer at the moment. We are all different and recovery and improvement I am told does take time anything from 2/3 weeks to 2/3 months maybe longer. Your system needs time to readjust, I understand that, I don’t know how much time but I’m due for a follow up next week. I'm remaining positive.Would welcome comments from others.
18 likes, 1911 replies
HAM4 charles40613
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I too had the Urolift done, May 26th 2017. Successful in the sense that it achieved the intended goal. I no longer have to take flomax or any other med for BPH. However, what I'm now experiencing is stricture in my penis. I also have internal lumps just below the the head of my penis. While there is no pain, I do not have internal sensation in the head of my penis. Post surgery, in the reconery room, I voided twice, each time it was what looked like pure blood. 1/3 cup each time. When I returned home, I voided blood again. The next day I passed a large blood clot. After about a week , with lessening blood, it subsided. I was told to take my BPH meds to for about 2 wks to avoid getting an erection, which I did. After 2 weeks, I got a spontaneous erection, and did not recognize my penis. While my penis achieved girth, it did not grow to the normal length of 7.5 inches. It is now 4 inches in length. If I had been told that would happen, I would not have agreed to the procedure. My urine stream is thin and comes out with pressure. To date , I've not seen the surgeon for follow up. I was given an appt with a Nurse Practitioner. I refused as I needed to see the Urologist that performed the surgery.Normally, there is a courtesy call to remind you of your appt. There was none. Now I have a totally different insurance and I'm trying to solve the problem through another Urologist who already told me he has never heard of penile shrinkage like this, and maybe it's just my perception, because he sees nothing wrong with my penis. He has ordered some tests, which I will do this coming Saturday. Any advice on how to handle this issue.
kenneth1955 HAM4
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nealpros charles40613
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I've never seen a report of this either with Urolift. You need to check with yet another urologist. Measuring penis length is somewhat difficult to do. For example, it will be different on the bottom than the top. Let us know what you find out.
Neal
bruce74642 charles40613
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I'll be 69 in a couple months. I had the Urolift in mid-May. I'm mostly satisfied with results. I'm off the prostate meds I was taking. I can go back to being a blood donor once I am off the meds for 6 months, My urine stream is much stronger, If I'm not very careful, I can end up leaving a puddle on the floor! My urgent need to pee is much better after the Urolift. I still have to get up twice a night to pee. I usually stay up after the third time around 5 or 6 AM. I can't get a very good erection, but my semen is clear now, not bloody. A urologist prescribed Vesicare to help overactive bladder, symptoms of urgency, frequency, and leakage. I took the prescription but didn't refill it because I couldn't see much improvement or any results. I have resumed normal activities and exercises. I'd still choose the procedure if I had to do it again.
alan83878 charles40613
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After my procedure 9 days ago I had a catheter when I left the hospital and what a pain. I had it removed the next morning. The first night after having the catheter removed was not good. I had to get up several times (5 or more) and would have to wait 3 or 4 minutes before my stream started. After I did all I could do I still felt like I needed to urinate more. I would wait another 4 or 5 minutes and my stream would start again, but not as much was passed the second time. During the day the wait time was frustrating, 2 or 3 minutes at a minimum. This continued for about 5 days then the number of times I had to get up at night was reduced to about 3 but the wait times was still 2 to 3 minutes.
Now 9 days later it still takes a long time before my stream begins. My stream is a little fuller than it was but not very strong. I don’t have to get up as much at night, and I am hopping things will improve soon and all of this will be worth the effort. If anyone has had the same situation as I have described I would love to hear how things turned out for you.
Alan
kenneth1955 alan83878
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alan83878 kenneth1955
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Thanks for the encouragement. On day 17 my stream seems a little better, fuller. I am feeling a little better.
Alan
kenneth1955 alan83878
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scherrie52696 charles40613
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mark02906 scherrie52696
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If your husband is unclear about the procedure and, especially, the aftercare, then both of you should make an appointment with the urologist before it's done. If your concern is about alternatives, that should be discussed. If the concern is about Urolift aftercare, again, the physician is responsible to explain what are the expected results and how to deal with unexpected results. We pay these physicians. If you are reluctant to do this, think about the physician's next patient.
kenneth1955 scherrie52696
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kenneth1955 scherrie52696
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george18730 kenneth1955
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Hello Ken:
Thank you for taking the time to post about your Urolift experience on this forum (and everyone else for that matter). I have been researching the Urolift procedure on and off for about 6 months now and this forum has been most helpful. I would have had the procedure done earlier but my outrageously expensive well known national private health insurance here in California does not cover it. Why the same insurance company will cover it in one state and not another is a mystery to me. I turned 65 last week so now that I'm on Medicare it's covered. I figured since I wasn't desperate I'd save the $6k-$8k out of pocket expense. I'm going in tomorrow for the procedure. I hit the gym pretty hard 5 or 6 days a week so I'm in pretty good physical shape without any other conditions that would affect the outcome of the procedure. Even though I tolerated the exploratory scope, my doctor decided to do it at an outpatient surgery center under a twilight anesthesia. Going home with a catheter that will be removed the next day. I've been on tamsulosin and finasteride for 6 or 8 years with diminishing returns. I'm tired of getting up 3-4 times a night and the side effects from the pills. I will add my outcome experience when I can.
kenneth1955 george18730
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Good Luck George. The catheter is ok had one for 3 day after mine. I would ready have one put in while I'm out then when I'm up. After the procedure you should be able to get off all meds and get back to normal. If you have any question just ask Ken
brianric kenneth1955
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I haven't been able to get off on all meds after my UroLift procedure on July 11. I successfully weaned myself off of Myrbetriq Tabs. I went off of Finasteride Tabs the day of the procedure. I did have problems getting off of Tamsulosin and had to go back on. I started today cutting my dose in half on Tamsulosin, and will try in a week to go off completely. Part of my problem is having Parkinson's, which can also cause frequent urination. All in all, I am very pleased with my results from the UroLift procedure.
kenneth1955 brianric
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nealpros george18730
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Stay out of the gym for a few weeks no matter how good you feel.
Neal
george18730 kenneth1955
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Okay, it's two days post op and here's an update. The doctor installed three tabs and said everything went "textbook" smooth. I asked him the size of my prostate and he said it was around 35 which seems small compared to many others on this forum. Anyway, went home with a catheter and was instructed how to remove in the morning myself. I was up all night due to spasms every 3- 5 minutes caused by the catheter. I would nod off for maybe one minute and then it would wake me up- horrible. Odd because I've been catheterized before and never had an issue. I took it out the next morning and the spasms immediately went away. If I had known I would have removed it that night and taken my chances. Yesterday was the first full day post-op and it burned like hell when I pee'd; maybe an 8 on a 1-10 scale. Today is better, maybe a 5. I pretty sure this is all caused by the trauma from the catheter and the scope used to perform the procedure. Last night without the catheter I got up every 30 minutes like clockwork to pee. Today I seem to be going about every 15-30 minutes. The doctor said I could immediately stop the finasteride and Rapaflo which I did. Sorry, gotta run
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kenneth1955 george18730
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george18730 nealpros
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Thanks Neal. I'll keep that in mind.
george18730 kenneth1955
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Thanks Ken. The burning doesn't concern me as much as the frequency. I may call the urologist's tomorrow if it keeps up.
kenneth1955 george18730
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george18730 kenneth1955
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Day 3. Feeling a little bit better thanks to Ken and a call back from my urologist last night. The doctor basically confirmed Ken's advice, give it more time. Because I was going so frequently and not getting any relief, I was concerned that I might have a full bladder and only taking 100 cc's or so off the top each time I urinated. He confirmed that I would be much more desperate if that were the case. I ended up in the ER a few years ago with the same condition and looking back, he's right, it was much worse. Burning is a little better today and so is the frequency. I was able to go around an hour between bathroom trips last night. The doctor said I could restart the Rapaflo (which I did last night) to relax the bladder and urethra muscles, so I don't know if my improvement is due to that or just getting better with time- hopefully the latter.