Button Plasma TURP 4 weeks POST

Men's health
1

To all those guys deciding what proceedure to have. 

I had the Button Plasma TURP August 30, 2016 after 10 years of dealing with BPH. I am 61 live in Southern California and in good health.  I was getting up 3-4 times a night and taking Finesteride and Doxysosyn (same thing as Flomax). During this time I had a couple of trips to the ER for a total blockage. Probally the most pain I have ever felt is when you can't pee. Two days of a cathter and I was back to normal.

After years of dealing with the pills and urgency my prostate finally grew so big that it completely shut down my ability to pee. Of course this happened on the 2nd day of a cruise. Thankfully cruise ships have hospitals and catheters, but finishing a cruise wth a leg bag affixed to your inner thingh is not my idea of a fun vacation. Anyway, for another month I had a catheter due to not being able to pee without it. The doctor said that the prostate finally grew to the point where it was pressing on everything in the area. Spicy food, alcohol, coffee and sitting for long periods would set it off so I needed to make a decision on having a surgical proceedure.

I researched severeral different proceedures but finally decided on the Button TURP. (less bleeding, less complications, and no hospital stay)

I tryed self catheterization but was not willing to do that for the rest of my life and I had difficulity inserting the tube without alot of pain and bleeding. So got an appointment with a urologist who is young and up on the new proceedures. He recommended Urolift but soon realized that my prostate was too big so therefore the button was the next step. I went to another surgeon who also advised a TURP but only did the original one and I wanted something new and inovative. I decided on the newer version although they all burn or cut out prostate tissue just by different methods.

I went in for a 7 am surgery and was out by 2 pm with a cateter and bag, antibiotics, spasm and pain meds. The first couple of days had some pain and spasms but nothing ibuprophen couldn't handle. The cateter stayed in for 9 days which, was uncomfortable, but I am glad it was done. My Dr was big on leaving it in for longer than the usual 3 days. It allowed my prostate time to heal and the swelling to go down so he said.

On day 10 the doctor removed the catheter and  said see you in 3 months and everything was good. He said the prostate was the size of a lemon ( way over 100 G) and had pushed into the bladder. The proceedure took 1 1/2 hours and he was only able to remove 50% of one side and everything around the bladder neck. He assured me that was enough and said I should be good for the rest of my life. He also said that I should not have any issues with retro ejaculation because he only removed the side opposite to the seminal canal. ( Hopefully he is right haven't tested that yet)

He allowed me to go back to the gym advising me not to lift heavy and no sex for 30 days. No other warnings except that it takes 6-8 weeks to heal and up to 3 months before it's back to normal. His lack of concern was reassuring to me seeing I have read way too many horror stories about the TURP.

I pee with no effort, still wake up twice a night but at least I pee real good. Every once in a while I get itching inside around the prostate (I assume it is healing) and minor after burn when peeing. Not bad it goes away real fast. I notice it is usually after a hard workout or when I overdo things during the day. No more blood or pressure when I sit and I never saw any scabs in my urine as described by some.

So it has been 4 weeks since surgery and I am glad I did it. It feels great to pee again. Yes there is some frequency at times (usually when you stand up after sitting) but no incontenence. I get errections better than before and the sensation seems better. I haven't had sex yet but soon, so I don't know about what that will be like. For many years I had retro from the drugs and got used to it.  I am a little apprehensive about sex because of the DR's warning not to have it for 30 days. Don't want it to get swollen or have a adverse reaction. I have not found much about sex after TURP so I am still in the dark.

Anyway guys it wasn't as bad as I thought and I am glad I did it. Don't get me wrong, you are not up and about running around for awhile but at least you can pee, get erections and have some hope for the future. You need to take it easy because the proceedure is rough and that area does not like to be poked, probed, cut burned and messed with. Drink alot of water and do not get constipated!. Take those stool softeners. It is amazing how everything down there is tied together.

If anyone has advice on the sex issue please let me know. Hopefully that works without issue.

I will keep all posted as time goes and after ejaculation ( if there is any) because that is what seems to concern most of us about this procedure.

So far so good!

2

Glad things are working out for you. Thanks for posting a fairly good-news item about TURP. (so many postings seem to be negatively critical of it). I haven't heard of Button Plasma Turp - do you know how it differs from standard TURP?

3

David, Congratulations on a successful TURP treatment!.....I hope All continues to go well for you and you have a complete recovery....

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The button plasma TURP uses a small scope with a button on the end similar to a spoon. Plasma goes through it which heats it up. The spoon touches the tissues and vaporizes it therefore no bleeding and a smoother incision. There are videos on U tube that show the procedure. Very interesting. It is good for large prostates. It still burns out the the prostate but from what I am reading all of them do that just with different tools. And Yes I wish more people would post good results. It can be unnerving when making a decision if all you see is doom and gloom.

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Of coruse there going to offer you a turp that is were there money and they don't have to deal with the side effects  Ken

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TURP shouldn't be ruled out altogether. It does work for some people and the alternatives, although they sound more attractive don't work for everybody.

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Andy.  A turp should only be use if all else has fail.  My urologist doe that.  He will try anththing else to make you happy.  The side effect of turp suck  Ken

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Thanks for the good info on your procedure. My scope check is next and I'm sure my urologist is using the vaporization procedure for my TURP. I'm also starting a new job soon and hope the procedure does not hinder it too much. Question: after the TURP how often was the urgency and how long did that last? Was incontenance ever and issue?

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Thanks for the good info David.  Button Turp is all my urologist does now.  I'm thinking about having it done but still doing research.  Please let us know how your progress is going.

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Hello all, I hope everything is going well in your search for the right proceedure to end an uncomfortable medical setback. It has been 3 months since my Button Plasma TURP. I feel great!! No issues peeing, I can ejaculate better than when I was taking those awful pills and my erections are strong. No issues in the sex department.  Although my ejaculate may not be as much as when I was 20 or 30, it is better than having retro.

I would highly recommend the Plasma TURP over other TURPs, but I think your success rate is all in how well your doctor performs the proceedure. My Doctor evidently knew what he was doing. Some I have read are amateurs and when your trusting your privates to a doctor, you definately do not want a rookie or non caring doctor.

So guys do your research on the doctor more than the proceedure. A good caring doctor is worth the money.

Anyway, I hope yours (whatever you decide) goes as well as mine did. I won't mislead you, it is a long road with many doubts, painful days and "OMG what did I do" moments; in the end all is good and I am glad I chose to have the Button Plasma TURP.

 

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T3700  Button Plasma Turp is much better then a regular turp  I ask my Urologist why and he said that you can control it better and you can stay away for the bladder neck and the ejaculation duct so retro is not given most of the time It just how good and caring your doctor is.  You just have to tell him what your concered about.  Good luck in whatever you pick  Ken

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I agree! My doctor only had to do 1/2 of the prosdtate staying away from the duct and neck. He said the goal is to open the prostate and there is no need to do the whole thing. He did the side away from the duct and still removed 50% of the prostate. The result is ejaculation and no incontinence. I still get up a few times at night, and pee every couple of hours during the day, but I have had that issue for 10 years.  I am use to it.  At least I pee with force so I think that may be a bladder thing and not the prostate. I am also 61 and still think I am 30 so that may be part of it.

One of my original urologists (now retired) once put it into prospective when I was 40. He said to me, when I told him that I didn't pee like I used too, "How did you pee when you were 10 years old?" I told him that I could hit the wall from 5' away and now it is not that strong. He put my worries at ease and said, "Oh when you were 10 you could hit the wall? When you are 70 it just drips out ! So where are you on that scale?"  I laughed and realized that I didn't have it that bad.

We have to all remember that we are not 10 anymore and age does slow things down. At least I got 20 years more before I had to have the TURP.  Now I pee like I'm 40 never to see 10 again. Oh well.

13

Your post button plasma account is encouraging.  I will undergo same soon.  I will return to your post to measure my experience.  Thank you.

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So happy for you.  I am glad they are inproving the turps.  BPT take a litle longer to do because you have to take your time and go around all the good stuff and just get rid of the tissue that is causeing the problem.  Again glad all is working for you  Ken

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Rob  Make sure you have it in writting and you have told your doctor of your concerns.  Some doctor will not do them because it take time and they just want to go in and cut away at everything.  I hope you have a good doctor that will take good care of you.  Let us after how things good  Take care  Ken 

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Rob, Good luck with your procedure. It has been 7 months and I am still doing good. The urgency is gone and I get up once or twice to pee during the night. I still get a good erection (A man's fear) and I ejaculate some but not much. The feeling is there but only a little bit comes out. The doctor says that is normal.  My PSA is still very high (12 the same as before the BPT) and he thinks it is because the prostate is really big even with removing half of it.

Reminder that with a BPT the doctor can not test the tissue for cancer like a regular TURP because the flesh is vaporized.

I am going to have a MRI of the prostate just to make sure there ae no suspicious things going on. The only way cancer can be detected is via a biopsy and I don't want one of those just because of a high PSA.  FOR 10 years it ranges between 9 and 12.

Other than the high BPH all of the symptons are gone. Doctor says I'm good for 10 years until it grows back. He reminded me that the prostate continues to grow.

Kenneth is right a BPT is tedious and time consuming because the plasma head is so small. Hopefully he goes around the ducts so you have somewhat of a normal ejaculation.

Let me know how it goes.

17

David that is right.  But Rob you have to remind the doctor of your concerns about retro.  This way he can go around the ejaculatory ducts and the sphincter muscle.  He can go around and just remove the tissue that is causing the problem  Take care  Ken  

18

David75878, thank you for the input.  And thanks to others who have been encouraging in their comments.  

19

Can you tell me where this procedure can be done?  Had prostate artery embolization and still having to use catheter.  Need to do something else.

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Can you tell me where I could get this?