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
george18730 charles40613
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Hi Charles:
I stand corrected. Thinking back on my hurried conversation with my doctor that day, he was addressing my questions about dizziness and RE and blamed those two things on the Tamsulosin. You're probably correct in saying that the low libido was caused by the Finasteride. I was on both drugs for years and I'm happy to report that I did not have any issues with breast enlargement. Someday I may need cataract surgery and I hope the Finasteride will not be an issue.
paul96555 george18730
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" Someday I may need cataract surgery and I hope the Finasteride will not be an issue" - no, Finasteride has no effect at all on cataract surgery, that effect comes if you ever took tamsulosin/flomax. For most people the cataract surgery still works, just a little bit harder. I am squeamish so ignore me, it'll be fine.
george18730 charles40613
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j94114 charles40613
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I am pretty sure I had this infection since I left hospital. As the NHS is trying to save the world from antibiotic resistance, there were no prophylactic antibiotics given automatically. Of course you dismiss the first few weeks of horror as just a slow recovery and it wasn’t until week 4 I realised (based on reading this forum) just how far behind I was.
The crazy thing is, neither I or my GP thought it sounded like an infection. And once again the NHS aversion to giving antibiotics ‘just in case’ asserted itself. So I just stuck it out.
Well a lesson here about being too damned stoic for my own good. And I think I’ll be having a word about the hospital’s post surgery helpline and discharge info for this procedure.
NHS is brilliant usually, but it so often falls down because the parts don’t join up. GP doesn’t want to step in while I am still technically under hospital care for a procedure they have no experience with, And hospital not there for minor handholding during recovery. A 10 week follow up appointment is probably fine for most cases, but if you are not feeling substantially better by week 4, then it does need a check.
It has been a miserable 6 weeks, so much so I was in the process of booking in privately to have the inserts checked and possibly removed.
george18730 j94114
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Standard procedure by my Urologist following the Urolift; 7 days of antibiotics, no exceptions. All of your misery could have been avoided with a simple preventative course of antibiotics. I'm pretty sure that this is recommended by the manufacturer. How could they not know this? So sorry for what you had to go through.
j94114 george18730
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As usual, the people making the decisions are not the ones who sit in misery for 6 weeks.
Here in the UK, doctors are now very resistant to issuing antibiotics unless they have clear evidence of an infection that needs them. And they are trying to protect the effectiveness of some antibiotics for serious infections.
Urolift obviously seen as a low risk procedure and so they just tell you to drink lots in first 2 weeks.
roger98537 george18730
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jimjames roger98537
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Jim
Artsouth charles40613
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My experience with Urolift has not been good. The procedure was done in February, 2017. Urge incontinence became a problem immediately and has continued to worsen. My urologist treated it as overactive bladder, with little or no improvement. Three weeks ago he went into my bladder to see what's going on, and he discovered that one of the Urolift fasteners had migrated upward and punctured my bladder. He's going back in next Tuesday to remove the stone that is forming around the puncture, and he will repair or remove the offending clamp. He believes that will cure the urge incontinence. What do you think?
kenneth1955 Artsouth
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Good morning Art. That happen to me 9 month's after I had mine done. My prostate got smaller and one let loose. Never felt it at all. I have a stricture and have it checked that is how is found mines. Had it repaired 2 weeks later. He replace the one and had to tighten the other 3. It's going on 3 years and all is good. All will work out fine Ken
kimberly13678 charles40613
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I’m posting for my father, 72 who had the urolift and TURP within a month and a half. He is still not himself and has actually gotten worse.
Back on sept 27 my Dad had the Urolift procedure due to BPH. He wanted something with minimal cutting and quick healing time. Came home same day with a catheter which he said felt horrible. Burning when he peed, blood clots, bladder spasms, peeing very little, feeling then need to pee every 15 minutes were some of the side effects that occurred the first week. Week 2, no blood clots, bladder spasms stopped. Dads stream was more like a dribble. the urgency was frequent and he did not sleep through the night. My Dad never left the house because of that constant feeling like he had to pee. He drive to the Dr and had to stop three times. Week 3 and 4 were no better.
Finally, Oct 31 Dad went back to Urologist and he admitted Urolift didn’t work. They decide on TURP and he was scheduled for Nov 8. At the same time a ultrasound showed swollen kidneys. Since my Dad told the Dr he NEVER wanted a cystoscope stuck up his penis again unless he was put out his Dr said while he was doing the TURP he would check the kidneys.
Nov 6 Dad calls Dr because he hasn’t peed in a day and a half. He also peed a cpl blood clots. Dr asks him if he wants to go to the hospital now or wait until Wed. My Dad chooses to wait. I’m not sure why the heck he would give him a choice. Wednesday comes and Dad has TURP. Dr removes the clips and sees inflammation where the ureters meet the bladder. He scraped some of the inflamed tissue and sent it to a lab for testing. A Pathologist at the hospital took a look and had no idea what he was seeing. He can’t explain why or what happened. At first he doesn’t think the Urolift had anything to do with what is going on since both ureters are effected. Urine was backing up and staying in his kidneys which had to be drained with nephrostomy tubes.
The plan was to send him home with stents in his ureters until the inflammation is gone. My Dad was put under anesthesia three times so when it came time to remove the nephrostomy tubes Drs only used light anesthesia. Dad could only handle the removal of one and placement on one stent since he could sort of feel some pain. He went home with a nephrostomy tube in the other kidney with a bag attached on Nov 15. This past Monday he had the tube removed and second stent placed. These will stay in temporarily until the Dr feels they are ready to be removed.
The Dr now feels that the Urolift probably caused this. We are still waiting on the pathology report and the results of a cat scan he had today.
Since coming home on the 15th he has been in pain. Dr prescribed Percocet which he was on for 2 1/2weeks. NOw on Tylenol and Motrin.
I’m so angry because this went on for so long and his Dr never seemed too concerned. Just give it more time he would say. I’ve seen my Dad go from a spry old man to someone I don’t even recognize. I saw him today laying in his bed with his eyes closed, pale, weak. I’m just so upset over this.
kenneth1955 kimberly13678
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What was wrong with that doctor. I don't think it was the UROLIFT I think he got it from the catheter. It takes some men a longer time to heal. They said at least a month. It was just a month for your father. That doctor should not have done any surgery on your father until the inflamation in the kidneys went down. I hate to say this but he made out on your father 3 procedure in 6 weeks. If I were you I would take him to another doctor this one really mess him up. I will put him on my prayer lest Ken
jimjames kimberly13678
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Sorry about what's going on with your dad.
Like Ken said, a lot of the swelling might have been caused by back to back procedures, post op catherization, as well as neglected bladder drainage when for example the doctor didn't treat his acute retention immediately on November 6th.
Hopefully, things will start to clear up when all the swelling goes down, but I agree that given the situation, a second opinion is in order.
Meanwhile, it's very important that your dad empties his bladder completely, both for his bladder and kidneys. So if he can't do that on his own then he will need either a Foley, suprapubic catheter or will have to learn how to self catheterize until things start working.
Jim
kimberly13678 kenneth1955
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My family is quite upset with the way this was handled. My dad has been through hell. Hopefully the pathology report and cat scan will solve this.
Thanks Kim
john8040 kimberly13678
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steve52719 john8040
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Sorry to hear about your dad Kimberly . I agree one day with the catheter doesn't seem it would cause all the issues with your dad.I'm in week 5 post Urolift. Stream is better, urgency is normal, everything is working fine. The first 2-3 weeks I wondered if the Urolift was a good idea. I had my follow up with my Urologist yesterday and all seems fine. I wish the follow up research was more than 5 years out. Sometimes if a fastener comes loose they can replace them. My Dr. said he had one come loose andtravel to the bladder in 100 procedures. Best of luck. Steve
kenneth1955 john8040
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John Urolift works well if done by a good doctor. It's over 2 1/2 years for me. Best thing I ever did. What that doctor did to Kim's father was wrong. He never heal from the first surgery and he did 3 in 6 weeks. That poor man Ken
jimjames kimberly13678
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Hi Kimberly,
I was assuming he had a catheter in place after the TURP? In any event, I was talking about the total trauma from both procedures but hopefully things will calm down and everything will work when the stents are taken out of the ureters.
I'm assuming that his retention was checked when his ureters were emptying properly into the bladder. If not, it should be checked again when his bladder is full.
Jim
jimjames
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To elaborate a little bit on checking to make sure his bladder is emptying properly.
First, they should scan him to make sure his bladder is relatively full. That would be let's say 300ml or more. Then they should ask him to void into a container which ideally should be measured. Then they should scan him a second time. Whatever is left in the bladder the second time is called the post void residual (PVR). Ideally it should be zero but under 100ml may be acceptable.
Jim
kenneth1955 jimjames
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kimberly13678 jimjames
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Yes, he had a catheter in for a week while in the hospital after the TURP. The inflammation was found while removing the clips and I am guessing during the TURP.
kimberly13678 jimjames
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Jim, you should be a Dr ! I'm not sure if the Dr did that with my Dad.
kenneth1955 kimberly13678
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jimjames kimberly13678
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Unfortunately, sometimes you have to ask them to do things correctly.
Jim
kenneth1955 jimjames
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What Kim is saying is true. You do know what your talking about and you have answered many question for men on here. But it is still a shame that doctor is doing anything to patients. I'm not a doctor and I know you should not have anything done before you heal from one procedure first. How do you know if it even worked you have to give your body time to heal. The prostate and that area are inflamed. God help us all from them kind of doctors. They don't see us as people we are just a number on there belt. KIM Just take care of your father there is nothing you can do now that the damage is done. Ken
kenneth1955 jimjames
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Evdilos kimberly13678
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Kimberly, sorry to hear about your Dad's situation. A little over a year ago I had the urolift.. I had continual episodes of urinary blockage for about 4 days/ The pain was terrible. Sounds like the doctor did not do a careful procedure. After a week the blood clots cleared-up. As for the operation it was not a success. I still have to urinate very frequently.
? Hope you Dad is now doing better.
?Tony
jimjames kenneth1955
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Hi Ken,
Yes, if a prostate obstructs the flow of urine then the bladder muscles have to work harder and at some point they thicken and trabeculate. I'm guessing your mild case was before your urolift and while I'm not sure if trabeculation every goes away it probably hasn't gotten any worse in your case.
Jim
kenneth1955 jimjames
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I don't know. My doctor told me that I could get it again but for now the prostate is wide open. He also told me to still take the FLOMAX. I don't like them so I'm not taking it. I told him that. For now I'm fine. Don't know if he is going to give me something else. He also told me if I have a problem either call or come in to the office and he will see me. Is trabeculation cause by a infection. in 2014 I had 8 infection kidney and bladder. Just going to have to take care of what I drink and make sure I drink a lot of water and juice. Thanks again Jim Ken
jimjames kenneth1955
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I meant I wasn't sure that trabeculation ever goes away. I didn't mean what happened to you when you couldn't void. I don't think your inability to void had anything to do with your trabeculated bladder.
Jim
kenneth1955 jimjames
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Yes...And I don't think I will ever know. But that was the pits Ken