After suffering with BPH with the last 8 years, I have decided to have a HOLEP, I haven't confirmed with the surgeon, but I am 99% sure I will have it done. My symptoms are getting really bad, retention and unable to urinate at times. Would anyone who has had a HOLEP, about their experiences, it would really me to consider my options. thanks. Philip.
Philip Please talk with Phil on here He just had it done in Miami. He has had a very bad way of it. You should look into something less evasive. Do you know what they do to the prostate when they do a Holep procedure. They core it out. It is like a orange. They remove the inners and leave the skin. Make sure it is your prostate and not your bladder before you do anything because if you remover the prostate your still going to have a problem Good luck Ken
Holep is very effective when an experienced surgeon performs it, but is usually overlkill. The recovery time is long, sometimes includes weeks or months of incontinence (almost always resolves, but its a messy time til it does). Holep almost guarantees a lifetime of dry ejaculations too. You might want to consider something like Rezum. In that vast majority of cases it works really well, requires no anesthesia, has only a 5-10% chance or Retro Ejaculations, has a much faster recovery an d almost no chance of anything terrible happening, which is never the case with a knife, laser and anesthesia.
I would try that first - it will likely work effectively as well with less risk and a shorter recovery. And if by chance it doesn't, you can always have Holep done.
Had mine 8 weeks ago. No regrets whatsoever.
Sadly we get those who have not had the procedure advising against it and other ones. Find the posts by Breeze who is a more typical recovery.
Forums attract ones with a post procedure problem. Those without problems don't seek out forums like this.
I had a successful GL in 2004 and when it regrew a Thulium/Holmium procedure in 2013 that is similar to Holep in 2013. UK patients seem to do better in a less commercial environment and in hospitals that specialise in a procedure. As the urologist who did my GL said before my next procedure:
"For yourself both laser options should be OK. The key will be that the team looking after you have the laser that they are happy with".
Provided you do not have any bladder problems and your median lobe is not too big and they are careful with the bladder neck., Go for it..
I had HOLEP done one 14 month ago in Mexico with a good result.
Positives of HOLEP from my experience are:
quick recovery
no incontinence or impotence
lasting result
sample for cancer testing
negative is only one, dry ejaculation. This is overrated, and is not a problem.
In my case, the procedure helped me twice. My BPH is resolved, and cancer which was detected in the removed tissue was removed by the procedure.
Since the procedure, I don't need any medication for BPH.
My PSA level has dropped to 0.4.
Another method worth exploring is a FLA.
Check my other posts for more details of my experience with HOLEP
Thanks Ken.
Thanks for the help. Philip
David, can I message you? Philip.
Thanks Derek. My median lobe is not big. Philip.
Thanks Bruno. I am not worried about the dry ejaculation, I just want to be able to get rid of the BPH symptoms for good. Thanks again, Philip.
Before you undergo any procedure get a prescription for a diuretic for retention. One small pill a day for at least a week and you will know if it works for you. There are no side effects but you will have to drink liquids regularly to avoid dehydradion
Thank you Lester, that is very helpful. Philip
Phillip,
I am also considering laser surgery for BPH. I have researched them thoroughly and I am opting for the Green light laser. From research I have read, I think they are about equal and have fewer potential risks than the TURP. I'm 64 and have a severely distended (stretched) bladder. I have had a small pee stream for more than a year and urgency and frequency finally prompted me to go to a Urologist. Due to surgery schedules, I am unable to have my surgery for another month. In the mean time, I have opted for self-catherization to empty my bladder myself. I had never done this and never consider it. However, I have found it to be relatively easy. It is slightly uncomfortable pushing through the prostate tissue crowding my urethra but really not that bad. And I DON'T have a high pain tolerance. I don't want to take any of the medications because of the side effects and the expense. When I do the self cath'ing, I pee into a container my Uro gave me so I know how much is in my bladder. I started off on June 15 doing the self cath'ing after my cystoscopy and urodynamic procedures revealed I was holding 4 litres of pee in my bladder. Shocked, I decided to start emptying it myself. It has been such a major relief to not have ANY of the urgency or frequency issues. My Uro said I need to keep no more than a half litre (500 ml) in my bladder to support my bladder contracting back to a reasonable size. Anyway, sorry to give the whole story but my point is this. If the urgency and frequency are enough of a bother to you before your surgery, I recommend trying self catherizing. I know it sound bad but believe me, it's not nearly as bad as having those symptoms all the time. I use the Bard intermittent red rubber catheter. I have found it to be 30 to 40% more comfortable to use than the clear plastic ones. I guess because its softer and more pliable. I cath twice a day in the shower and just consider it another routine of the day. Ask your Urologist about it.
And good luck with you laser procedure. I'll update this post later as I progress towards mine.
Nor was mine and I had a team who were always mindful of avoiding the bladder neck.
Tpinhou. Can you answer a question. Being that you are doing CIC and it is helping you with your problem Would you consider not having any surgery because of the side effect. Just put it off for a few years. You may be able to help your bladder get better like Jim did. I think anything is better than having your prostate cut out and causing you more problem to deal with. Good luck Ken
Hi Phil,
I bet you wished you hadn't posted after reading some of your first replies. For some reason Kenneth is on a vendeta against laser of any form and then suggests another procedure that hasn't been tested over time.
I can only speak from my own experience and from reading about the earlier version of holep , green laser which has been very succesful for a high percentage of men.. If you read my posts you can read about my result given at weekly stages. I am extremely pleased with my result but did have urgency for two to three weeks which they say can be a problem but in the scheme of things comes and goes very quickly. I expect my op to give me at least ten years of problem free water works problems. I am p*****g like a horse 300 mlitres in 10 secs, dont have retention and thus sleep through thev night. I'm not going to the toilet 15 times a dayand I am no longer damaging my renal functions by being full of urine all day and night. And, , what a blessing not having to take the two pills again.
I'm 69 and like you have put up with BPH for 14 years and wished I had this done earlier. If you are younger than you may want to experiment with staples, steam, and vein blocking but no -one knows what the outcomes will be like long term. LOts of people on here have tried alternatives and then gone back to turps [not for me] or some form of laser which does have a track record of working longer than any other treatment.
All treatments are brutal for bhp to some extent and kenneth has demonstrated quite admireable with his coring out of the prostate.
I think the clue is to make sure your hospital has up to date equipment and your consultant skilled. I had both and I can tell you my result has been nothing less than miraculous.
Ive not proofed read this as its late but wanted to fire it off to re balance the argument.
Good luck with what ever you subscribe to.
ps. And, I'm still producing seminal fluid, in small quantities even though I knew there was a 70% chance of being dry and my organism are better than for the last ten years due to the pills drying me up. So, perhaps I have been lucky but it can be done.
Hi Bruno,
I just wrote to phil with a list of improvements and I forgot one of the main advantages in that cancer can be autopside and as you say, the removel of a lot of tissue would remove any cancer.