Told I need Urolift!

Don't. Get PAE.

Does Dr. Prescott do the urolift? If so, that's one of the reasons he is recommending it. Here in the States, I've found that Drs recommend things to me, but I always research stuff and ask questions. Once they see I'm seriously interested in having some say in my care management (whatever, it might be), then they seem to be more open with other options. Sometimes, I find myself having to educate the urologists (example: in my HMO they almost exclusively prescribe tamsulosin, but I insisted on alfuzosin after doing research. My urologist told me later that his department discussed alfuzosin and will now be recommending it more. Also, alfuzosin has been shown to have a significantly less likelihood of contributing to floppy iris syndrome - which can cause problems during cataract surgery).

Short answer is there are quite a number of other options, but I have no knowledge regarding the NHS questions you ask.

I will say that there seems to be more and more posts about unsuccessful Urolifts on this site. HOWEVER, you have to take that somewhat with a grain of salt because it is also true that men who have successful operations are much less likely to post here whereas men who have had problematic procedures do.

Good luck.

No mention of the drug Alfuzosin. I was switched from finasteride years ago (I am 73). Alfuzosin is by no means a cure but it certainly reduced my symptoms to the level of manageable. I still pee every couple of hours but with no side effects of the drug.

Drink less pee less. But at my age, hydration is important and it's a fair trade -- the frequency of need.

A general impression fwiw: invasive procedures like urolift and turp seem high priority for those who administer lifts and turps. I have avoided that road 'till now -- 30 years with BPH symptoms but my no means stopped up and unable to void. Maybe ask your doc for alfuzosin -- again, no RE and no appreciable impact on sex drive, while knocking frequency symptoms down by maybe half.Good luck.

get a second opinion after the cysto.. i wouldn't rush it. you've had it this long you can afford to check all options.

this board talks about many procedures and their effectiveness. I'd spend a couple weeks reading here while finishing your tests then take all reports for another opinion.

And one more thing:

With my uro's blessings, I have begun a regimen of daily generic 5 mg cialis (tedalafil) from an on-line supplier via Singapore. Morning erections are back (a nice problem to have...again, I am 73), and urinary urgency/frequency reduced by another 10% along with the alfuzosin therapy. Maybe inquire if that combo might help you as well.

Paul,

Firs of all find the size of your prostate. 5-60 g by DRE is bull. Based on my experience before you will get a decent CT or better 3T MRI scan, or TRUS (transrectal ultrasound imaging ) you don't really know the size of your prostate. Given 10 years of BPH history and dribbling, I will bet it's greater than that. If it's really 50-60 g, PAE will do nothing or mostly noting to your condition. Start with alfuzosin. I'm 10 years on alfuzosin and 5 mg of Cialis and they do a great job. Especially after my PAE 22 month ago. PSA and flexible cystoscopy is a must. NHS will cover both PAE and Urolift. Keep in mind, Urolift is also a temporary solution, works not for everybody and is not reversible. Start with alfuzosin and measuring your prostate volume. If it's greater than 60 g,try PAE first. Anything else can wait...

That's what I did an will recommend to everybody with similar symptoms. My volume was 110-120 g., which is best treated with PAE. Complete the study first. All possible tests were discussed in detail on this forum, as well as all possible remedies. Good luck

Hi Paul

I am one of the ones who has had pretty good results. Had Urolift almost 3 years ago . My prostate was about 65 grams. I had bladder stones, a little bleeding and moderate symptoms from BPH. Never was on meds for it. Had it done in US at an outpatient surgical center using sedation. Procedure was easy with minimal side effects. A little sore for a few weeks but not bad. Catheter for 2 days was annoying but not really painful. Flow at first was great. Not as good now but still decent. Get up about once a night. No RE. Who knows how long it will last. I'm almost 74. My URO

was only doing Urolift or full turp at that time. He didnt really push me to go with Urolift but thought it was better for certain people. He hadnt done a lot. 25 or so but he did a lot of robotic surgery so I thought he was probably good using scopes. Cystoscopy was not too bad either. mine was quick and done in under a minute. About like getting an IV started. Not much worse than that for me ive had 2 cystoscopies and they were both about the same.

Good Luck

Tom C

I think you're doctor is getting it all back assward: starting with the procedure and looking for a diagnosis that fits. I hope you're just explaining it wrong or in a jumble. You don't know if you need a Urolift until AFTER the cytoscopy NOT before. That makes no sense. The Cyto is diagnostic. It will show the blockage.

First, you need to know what' s going on. What is the the problem to solve? Where is the blockage?

For that you need the cytoscopy. Then and only then after the Cyto, will the doctor and you know what the problem is and then know how to best fix it.

So I would tell the doctor you want the cyto but say no to any other procedure until after the Cyto. I had to do that to one of my Uros: I said no to the needle biopsy. Later, my now Uro said my cancer risk was too low to need a biopsy.

Also, are you retaining? How much? If you're retaining a lot of urine you should learn how to self-cath. It can be a life saver and can buy you time and help empty and thus rehabilitate your bladder while you figure out a more permanent fix.

Also, it will help avoid or lesson the time you need a Foley after whatever procedure you do have. And, if you ever stop entirely, it will save you a trip to the ER.