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The Urolift procedure; patient views and questions

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charles40613
charles40613

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

1911 Replies

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  • george18730
    george18730 charles40613

    Posted

    Thanks for reporting in your positive results Tony, my experience was the same as yours.  If you come to these threads for information, you would assume by all the complaints that the Urolift procedure only works for 1 out of 100 men when, in fact, it is probably the other way around.  
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 george18730

      Posted

      Good afternoon.  George & Charles  If your prostate is the problem the Urolift will do a good job.  I have been on here going on 4 years.  Had my Urolift done 3 1/2 years ago..  Prostate is wide open.  My urologist has dome many over the years and the men are happy with there results.  There have been many men on here that have blamed some of there problems on the Urolift but found out later that it was either there bladder or the med's they were on.  Happy healing all  Ken

  • william10248
    william10248 charles40613

    Posted

    There are failures that can be the result of the consistency of your prostate and if it is able to be held open.  In my case it failed.  I had the Greenlight Laser and could mot be happier!
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 william10248

      Posted

      I am sorry that it did not work for you but maybe he did not put in enough clips but If your happy with the out come of your Green Light Laser then that is all that matters.  Just as long as you can deal with any side effects that come up.  Have a great day  Ken
    • william10248
      william10248 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Absolutely no side effects!  Great outcome!  Some prostates if not rigid enough do not open up sufficiently with the Urolift.  Overall having both, the GL was much easier to recover from.
    • john77643
      john77643 william10248

      Posted

      I am thinking about having a green light laser procedure. This usually results in retrograde ejaculation. Can anyone comment about whether this has affected their sexual pleasure ? I understand the orgasm still occurs except nothing comes out the end.

  • george18730
    george18730 charles40613

    Posted

    William:

    It's unfortunate that the Urolift did not work for you but I'm happy for you that your Greenlight laser procedure did the job.  My comment was to reinforce the opinion that I believe your experience with the Urolift was the exception, not the norm.  If your doctor does a proper evaluation as to whether or not you're a good candidate for a particular procedure (and is skilled at that procedure), the outcome will have the best chance at being a success.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 william10248

      Posted

      That is true.  But even in the UK they try to get you to have the least evasive procedure first.  If you do not want to deal with the side effects of the other procedures.  After talking with one of the doctors that invented the Urolift ( Nice Guy )  They have found out If the prostate is the problem it will open you up good enough to relax the pressure on the bladder.  You can have from 2 to 8 depends on the size.  Trails were very good and not they are working on trials with median lobes.  Have a great day  ken  
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 william10248

      Posted

      Sorry but I don't.  I was number 20 for my doctor.  Have a good day  Ken

  • william05384
    william05384 charles40613

    Posted

    Charles I had some questions on the green light laser. Was this the outpatient or inpatient? And do you happen to have a CPT code because I called my insurance and they can't find it so I happen to have AARP Medicare. Was there anything mentioned about how often you'll have to have this done because of the growth of the prostate. Thanks, Bill

  • william10248
    william10248 charles40613

    Posted

    Hi:  it is 52648.  I had it at a hospital ASC as an outpatient the same as I had the Urolift.  The only difference was that I had a catheter overnight which was a welcome change vs the urgency and frequency post Urolift.  I also recovered more quickly and much less bleeding.

    The repeat time varies as with any procedure including the Urolift.  The studies indicate very similar to Turp.

  • jamie54
    jamie54 charles40613

    Posted

    I have a question for those who have had a Urolift. I'm 63, and while I'm not an athlete, I am very active. I still ski aggressively and hike. Other than my lower urinary tract symptoms and hearing loss, I'm in pretty good shape.

    I've been on Flomax for about 12 years. In the last year or so I've had a couple of scares where I couldn't pee, and thought I might have to go to the ER. I'm planning to trek in Nepal to Everest Base Camp in November, and the thought of having such an emergency while days away from medical facilities was enough for me to take action.

    After a lot of research and 2 urologists, I had 5 clips installed 12 days ago. Went home with a catheter. Spent a worrisome first week (pain, passing some blood clots, weak stream) thinking "what have I done!" I don't think my urologist did a good job of setting expectations. But this week, I'm beginning to think things are headed in the right direction. No trouble urinating, much less discomfort, flow seems to be improving little by little, and I'm much more inclined to be patient now that I see things getting better. I'm back at work and have started moderate hikes again.

    My question is this: How many of you do vigorous sports or exercise? Weight training? Running? Is there data that suggests that Urolift withstands abuse from physical activities? What has been the experience in terms of how long before you can return to pre-Urolift levels of exercise?

    Thanks, and I really appreciate all of the great info shared here.

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 jamie54

      Posted

      Good afternoon Jamie.    You have to give it time.    We all heal in different rate.    You should see more improvement in 4 weeks.  They tell you not to do anything physical for 4 weeks.  That is because they want the clips to a hear to the prostate.   I had my Urolift done 3 1/2 years ago I do not do a lot of activities but I do go to the gym and work on the bikes and the treadmills.  I think you will be good just give yourself some time.  I had 4 clips put in and only had a catheter for 3 days after a week I was good to go.  Good luck Ken   
    • george18730
      george18730 jamie54

      Posted

      Hi Jamie:

      I'm 65 and pretty active (6-8 classes at the gym per week, walks on the beach, surfing, etc.).  I took the advice from some of the posters here and stayed out of the gym for 3 weeks and I'm glad I did.  When I started up again I went easy for a week or two.  I'm back to 6 days a week, weights, cycle, power yoga etc.  I really didn't lose much stamina even after 3 weeks. My urologist told me that there are no physical activities that I did before the procedure that I could not do after.  Yes, for me the first week to ten days was a b***h- hang tough, the payoff is awesome.

    • steve52719
      steve52719 jamie54

      Posted

      Hi Jamie, I had my Urolift 8 mos ago. 4 clips, tough 2 weeks of pain, blood, urgency...I too thought..what have I done!  I am an active tennis and martial arts player, ( 68 yrs old)  and a personal trainer. I waited about 3 weeks but began walking 1-5 miles initially, then tennis( doubles)  in 8 weeks, martial arts in 12 weeks. We do all heal at different rates. I had some pressure and discomfort in months 5-6 but that has subsided. I am peeing less over night, flow seems a bit better. Not dramatic, but better. Back  to daily workouts no restrictions. All seems well. Best of Luck. Steve
    • jamie54
      jamie54

      Posted

      Thanks for the feedback. That's quite encouraging.

    • Cactus_Michael
      Cactus_Michael jamie54

      Posted

      Jamie, That has to be one of the earth's most difficult challenges!  I'd certainly not want to rush into that. it's dangerous enough even in the best of health. With days of gravity tugging on you and oxygen concerns, I want at least 3 months before scheduling such a climb.

      I had mine done (5 clamps) 11 weeks ago. Like others, I had pain, discharge, etc. for about 10 days. 2 months to clear my ejaculate!

      Night pees avg 2/nite, so that for me is excellent. Day time is not as good as I hopped. I still feel retention and sometimes go again a half hour later (although not as much urine). I should mention though that I drink a lot of water. So that may need to be accounted for. For now, I'm only partially convinced as to my procedure.

    • jamie54
      jamie54 Cactus_Michael

      Posted

      Thanks for the concern and info, but I'm not climbing Everest, just hiking up the Khumbu valley to the vicinity of the Base Camp so that I can get a good look. I've given myself 4 months (leaving mid-November). Not to minimize it, but it's something that anyone who's in good shape and prepared can do. Other than the altitude, I can pretty much duplicate a typical day (mileage and altitude gain) here in SoCal. And we're taking lots of time to acclimatize along the way. Plus (fingers crossed), I'm only 12 days in and feeing pretty good already.

      I'm more concerned about things like lifting weights and skiing - which is a lot more tiring and violent than hiking. Was interested to hear from folks who have had a Urolift and have continued (or attempted) to do such sports and activities.

    • george18730
      george18730 jamie54

      Posted

      You should be good to go.  (And hopefully, fewer pit stops along the way!)
    • hwstock
      hwstock jamie54

      Posted

      Hi, I know this is an old thread, but I'm curious how you did with the trek to Everest Base Camp. I unintentionally ask this question of someone else, soory for the repeat post.

      I had a urolift 8 days ago, and feel decent-- easier to pee, but not a really great improvement. No catheter, and frankly, the ravages of the antibiotics (cefuroxime and metronidazole) were far worse than anything else. I had a TURP 5.5 years ago, and it seemed to work right away, but the effect faded away in about 6 months. (My bladder is partly paralyzed from a botched operation 43 years ago. )

      I also "hike" a lot. I had great plans for this summer, but pushed it a bit too far early on. Two times I ran down from Charleston Peak near Las Vegas, dropping about 4500', and irritated my bladder and prostate. Six other times I dropped significant elevations quickly, though at a fast walk, and even that was irritating. By mid July it was difficult to urinate., and I was getting up a lot at night.

      I am itching to get back out, I'm just a bit worried more descents will bring me back to the same place, or pop a polyester fiber. etc.

    • jamie54
      jamie54 hwstock

      Posted

      My direct personal experience with Urolift is that there was no dramatic change. I still pee a lot and while there may be a small improvement in overall flow, it's nothing to write home about. What has changed is that I hardly ever have any difficulty starting - and with respect to a month-long trek in Nepal, that made all the difference in the world. Before the operation, I'd had a few times at altitude (skiing at Mammoth, > 8K ft) where I had to pee but couldn't. Painful and scary. The thought of that happening days away from medical help in a foreign country was enough to give me second thoughts. However, within a week or two of the Urolift, that problem disappeared and ceased to be a concern.

      My buddy and were on the trail for 23 days, from an low of 4,000ft to the top of Kala Phattar at 18,500ft, and never once during that trip (or since) was urinating an issue. I hardly thought about it. For that reason, I have absolutely no regrets about getting it done. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

      But, again, I can't say it's made much of a difference in my frequency or flow rate. As long as I know I can start, I've just learned to be patient.

      Hope this helps.

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