I just had a cystocopy and it seems like I am headed for a TURP.
My local urologist seems quite competent but I am wondering if I would do better with a large medical center perhaps equipped with robotic surgery like Da Vinci.
Advice will be greatly appreciated.
I think many TURP's are done by Senior Registrars and it is a very straight forward procedure. When it comes to removing the Prostate then this would normally be done by Consultant Uroligists and from what I can read that is when some use the Da Vinci procedure.
Read thru this forum and consider some of the less invasive options like PAE and Urolift. Turp should be a last resort,
How old are you> Be careful. How are your peeing sympyoms?
Da Vinci will cut down on your recovery time by a lot - the difference between something like 3 weeks on a cath vs 3 days. I also agree its a last resort - its the most invasive option, can cuase impotence and other issues. I'd suggest looking into TUNA and the green laser before you jump into a surgery like this if you can.
Thanks very much for your advice.
I'll tell you more about my situation and hope you can guide me.
I'm 73 and in excellent health, except that I get up to pee at night, sometimes 10 or more times per night. Sometimes I take my time and try to empty my bladder as much as possible but as soon as I go back to bed within 5 minutes I have to pee again.
The loss of sleep is affecting me.
My urologist did the cystoscopy yesterday and said I have a sclerotic bladder neck.
I live in Buenos Aires. So far the drs have been really good for me. But they dont have hi tech tools like Da Vincis so if I want to go that route I'd have to go back to Miami or Chicago and pay for the procedure. Here its covered by our insurance.
Strongly suggest that you research the PAE procedure. DO NOT do a TURP. OMG. I have had both procedures done. The TURP was like medieval torture and did not work for me. It does work for some and it can have retrograde ejaculation as a side effect. That means ejaculation into your bladder for the rest of your life if you end up with that side effect. Other possible side effects as well.
The PAE was like a miracle for me. No side effects, no pain, no catheter in and out, no pee bag, no flushing gallons through you the first night. No blood.
Two tiny stiches on your inner thigh. Nothing too it. Just have to take it easy for 2 weeks so you don't rip the stiches out.
Urologist don't do the PAE. Many don't even know about it yet.
Vascular surgeons do it. Read all of this blog. Do your research. Good luck.
I heartily agree with others: avoid TURP at all costs, unless you have a very, very enlarged prostate. Then consider PAE and if not terribly large and no significant middle lobe, consider Urolift. I recently underwent Urolift and am now peeing as I did when I was a young man in my 20s...now 73. Obviously I am very pleased with the Urolift.
I cannot stress too much what others have already said: NO, NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO! TO TURP, unless it is you last resort! I am 66; in Aug of 2014, my urologist told me I needed a TURP and said he would do it. I politely declined, and said I would keep looking. I peed through single-use catheters for a year, then found out about UROLIFT. Three months later I flew to Salt Lake CIty from Pennsylvania where I live, to have the most experienced US doctor do it. In and out procedure at the doctor's clnic, local anesthesia. I flew home two days later, and the following day I spent stacking firewood. Peed like a champ! I had not heard of PAE, but many guys in this forum have had good experiences with it.
I have flown a couple of times from NYC to Asucion (Paraguay); yes it is a long trip, but to avoid the TURP, those would be hours well-spent! :-)
JJ like the other men on here NO TURP. There are so many others procedures that would help you. Look into a uroife or a PAE that would help you pee. I had a urolift done a year ago and all is great. Please for you own safety do not do it. They do cause alot of bleeding and the down time is not a walk in the parl. Do not let them talk you into it PLEASE Ken
Hi Bill.
I have had a Turp done about 6 weeks ago. Having some problems but not desperate yet. Firstly, what does PAE stand for?
Secondly, you said you had both done a Turp and a PAE. Is that possible, well it must be, and does the PAE counteract the Turp and the side effects such as retrograde ejaculation?
I would very much appreciate your honest opinion. Thanks. Bob.
Hi I'm not Bill. But PAE stands for Prostate Artery Embolization. It will not cause retro. You can have many procedures done if one does not woork. The Turp may not work and then the doctor may want to do something else. Alot of doctors talk patients into the turp because it is the gold stander been like that for many years but there was nothing else. I'm 60 and I had a urolife worked great. There would be no way I would have my prostate cored out by a sharp blade. I hope you heal good because you may have some other problems in store. Ken
The Da Vinci system is used in Robot-assisted Laproscopic Radical Prostatectomies to rid the body of a prostate with localised cancer.. If you only have an enlarged prostate, with symptoms such as nocturia, urgency, etc, then consider a PAE. The PAE is carried out by Interventional Radiologists, and will not be favoured by Radiologists, who will tell you it is an experimental procedure. That's because it cuts across their future income.
Thanks Ken. I am peeing better but still not peeing as i should, i have retrograde ejaculation and i have to wear adult nappies all the time because i leak a bit almost with every movement. I feel a bit sickie as well.
Is it possible for me to have a PAE and will it solve my side effects?
Cheers. Bob.
Consider TURP only if you can withstand a recovery period of almost a year. Green Light Laser is almost as bad , Most urologists will not do or recommend any newer procedures because their malpractice insurance will not cover them. Insurance companies regard them as experimental which has not stood the test of time.
Also, and not knowing your age: Medicare covers Urolift now (It was approved by the FDA two years ago, after many years of use in Europe. Dr. Steve Ganges in Salt Lake City did the trials; I chose to fly there for the procedure, and had the best possible experience; I would recommend him specifically if you're looking for recommendations! :-) My local uro-doc (in PA), newly-certified Urolift doc, is graciously covering the follow-up. The Urolift, btw, is appropriate where the prostate weighs between 40 and 80 grams (mine was only 39 grams, which made it a tad dicey.), and there is no medial lobe. I mentioned stacking firewood three days post-surgery, to emphasize how quickly I recovered: two days feeling definitely "post-op-woozy (and in pain), then one travel day and then back home and back to handling chores! :-)
Bob Yes I think it is possible for you to have it done. Just wait and see. It may take up to 2 month's for the Turp to work. Why did you even have it done. Did the doctor give you any other options What your having are many of the side effects because they destroy the inside of the prostate and the bladder muscle. I wish they would stop doing that to men Because it is never the same. Ken
That is true and because the turp and laser are what they know. But the FDA are aproving some of the others. To invasive and the side effects suck. Ken Glad I had a urolift
Thank you all for the great advice.
You've changed my thinking. I've got to do a lot more research before making a decision. Especially about PAE and Urolift
I'll be sure to let you know what I do and how it works out.
In the meantime more comments and information will be very welcome.
You will find that you can learn a lot more from the great support group on these posts because most doctors have not personally gone through what their patients have gone through. Therefore they will do what they have learned in medical schools, hospital internships, and from their peers.