MY POST TURP RECOVERY AND EXPERIENCE

Men's health
1

I just want to thank everyone who followed and contributed in my earlier discussion " MY BPH EXPERIENCE". 

I had my TURP on June 1, 2016. Procedure went well, in OR less than 2 hours. Got pictures from my urologist with before and after surgery. Stayed overnight in 

hospital. Did not have much pain at all and had 3-way catheter for continius bladder irrigation. Did not bleed much. Next morning urologist came to see me and removed catheter. With voiding trial I did not have much luck. My first PVR was 335 and 2nd PVR went to 425 and I already felt I won't go home without catheter.  Started urinating about every 5-10 minutes very small amounts of urine less or about 100 ml. Nurse checked 3rd time my PVR and it was over 500 ml. Urologist ordered catheter to be inserted and I could be discharged home. Came back home orotund 4 pm on Thursday June 2nd. Dealing with catheter, tubing and bag is different story or better said "pain in the neck" and I dealt with that for 8 days until my appointment with urologist on June 9th. I worked on Saturday June 4th and regularly after that. I am very lucky to have job from home. Sitting was fairly uncomfortable but I managed to work every day 8-9.5 hrs. 

Than, come time to see urologist on June 9th at 3 pm. Went to get my wife from her work place and we headed to urologist office. After I was checked in, was placed in the room and nurse feeled my bladder with about 400 ml of fluid than she removed catheter and left me in the room to urinate. Soon after I was able to empty my bladder very quickly and urinated 500 ml of urine so I passed voiding trial this time.

Minutes later, urologist came in and ask about recovery and how I feel after catheter removal. We talked about procedure and what to expect on the road of recovery.

Than comes huge and unexpected very negative surprise:

Urologist told my wife and I that my patohystological report came back and it is POSITIVE FOR PROSTATE CANCER in one of the prostate chips GLEASON 6 (3+3) 4% T1a. I was speechles for couple of minutes and same was my wife. 

Urologist told us about plan to do biopsy of the prostate but we have to wait at least 3 months until everything heals and scheduled appointment in September to see him again and than we will plan biopsy.

I am still in shock.

i would like to hear if anyone had similar experience.

 

2

Hi from NZ. Well what a shock. I wish you all the best for the future.

Take care and especially as I am off for a TURP in 20 minutes.

We have a saying here it is Kia Kaha. Maori meaning is stay strong.

I cannot imagine what the wait will be like for you but can only say I am sure you have hundreds sending you strength and love.

Robin

3

I'm sorry MK to hear that your chips came back positive for cancer. Fortunately for me my prostate chips were free of cancer from my Turp on May 24th. However, I'm still on a catheter and just finished a regiment of antibiotics, as I had a major infection. Tomorrow I start to retrain my lazy bladder. My urologist wants me to plug and unplug the catheter tube before my urine flows into the Foley. I'm hoping this will work, because effort up to this point to be free of the catheter left unable to void. Take Care, Denis

4

Good luck to you.

   Steve

5

I too had a minute amount of cancer (one chip out of 400 tested positive with the same Gleason score.  However, the uro said this is nothing to get excited over, and from what I've read, the slow growing type is not a big worry.... just have to keep an eye on it.  My PSA went from 3.8 to 0.2 after the op. 

I'm a bit surprised you said you had TURP; I didn't think they recovered any tissue from this procedure..... did you actually have a HoLEP?

In any even, best of luck, and despite the cancer report, it sounds like your quality of life is better.  After my HoLEP, I'm a very happy camper, even with the cancer diagnosis.

6

What I'm going to say is not going to sound right.  WHY DID THE DOCTOR NOT SAY ANYTHING TO YOU BEFORE YOU HAVE THE TURP HE SHOULD HAVE KNOW .And what do you have left.  When they do a TURP they core out 80% of the prostate.  If it was in the 80% it should be gone The 20% that is left should be free or slow growing.  I am very sorry for you and I hope all goes well. If you can't tell by my tone Im not a fan of the Turp procedure.  I think it barbaric.   Ken  

7

Hi Ken... some of us don't have a choice. For us the Turp is the best alternative, due to our financial or health insurance reasons. I really object to the term barbaric, because it makes us who have chosen to do a Turp irresponsible, Denis

8

I am sorry Denis. But that is the way I feel and I wish things could change  Lets say it old and there are so many new procedure out there.  After reading many artical and talking with my urologist I know that if the median lobe is the problem that the only way to fix it is to do a turp. I'm sorry that it is that way.  Maybe one day the insurance companys and the medical field will get together and money will not matter.  I had a urolift done last year and welcare paid for mine.  Hope you guys all heal fast..Ken    

9

MK,

One of my favorite sayings is: "you can only be shocked once". Not meaning any disrespect, now you will have to pick yourself off the floor and deal with the situation. I got a similar call from my urologist just before Christmas in 2012. I was eventually treated form my prostate cancer in September of 2014. 

First, despite the "bad news", having <5% of Gleason 6 pattern puts you in the "very low risk" category, and that means your PSA will be monitored by quarterly tests and you will likely have a biopsy or MRI done in the future. Some (many) urologists want Gleason 6 reclassified as as something other than Cancer. Gleason 7 or higher, that's something to be concerned about. 

If you want to know if the cells found are aggessive, have them sent to Genomic Health for an Oncotype DX test - a genetic test that can determine what you are dealing with. This test is expensive, so your insurance might not cover it, or you could pay out of pocket. 

So, for now, you are actually on "active surveillance" - you have been found to have a small amount of low grade prostate "cancer" cells, and you do not need treatment at this time, and you will be monitoring the situation for the forseeable future. 

Avail yourself of this time to research the various treatment options if, and when, you eventually do need treatment. You will be monitoring your PSA, and, after a biopsy, the number of cores involved and the percent of each core positive. Or, you might have an advanced MRI done. 

Based on what you have reported here, you have a very long time before you have to do anything about this. 

I am now a year and a half past my treatment for Gleason 6 cancer, and my PSA is down from 4.6 to 0.2 and I am doing well except for a large median lobe that is causing me to have BPH symptoms. 

We all like to think that we will be perfectly healthy forever and nothing will ever happen to us, but from time to time life throws us unexpected surprises and we just have to deal with them. 

Eventually, this will be dealt with, and it is highly likely all will turn out very well. It may be years before your urologist recommends treatment, or, possibly never. 

My very best to you,

Tom

10

Good luck, I had my TURP, and was very happy to do  so. I wish you the best..

Mike

11

My last 3 days before catheter removal I unplugged catheter bag and used foley plug and went on schedule as normal urination starting with 1 hour between and progressed to 2 hours on 3rd day just before catheter removal. That helps with retraining the bladder. After catheter removal I am doing fine with minimal urgency that was caused by drinking strong coffee. Other than that with some bleeding either at the beginning or at the end and no pain at all. I started experiencing erections during the night while having catheter and that was no fun at all. I am pleased with my recovery so far. My thought and concentration is on the cancer now and waiting 3 months or longer to get biopsy will be big burden on my back and will be nerve wrecking. 

12

No it was not HoLEP. It was classical bipolar TURP with saline used as irrigating fluid.  My prostate was way smaller with only 12 grams of tissue removed.

13

When it comes time to do the biopsy, insist that you get an MRI guided biopsy. That way they look for tumors, and biopsy them. Otherwise the doctor is just shooting in the dark, and might as well biopsy your left big toe. He might well miss an aggressive tumor completely, or find a non aggressive tumor, and think that's all there is. If your doctor won't do that, find one who will.

Neal

14

What you talking aboutvTuRP is just because you hate that procedure not because you talk about your own bad experience. So far from my own experience I totally disagree on term barbaric, archaic or other words you used to describe TURP. I am just 11 days post OP and I am feeling great. On 3rd post op day I worked full 8 hours with minimal discomfort that was mainly from the catheter and worked every day after that.

I did not regret having TURP at all and would recommend it to every one who really want to fix the problem where it originated.

 

15

I am glad that your doing so well and I what everyone to get well and be all they can be.  There have been some bad one on these post that it took some men 6 month's to a year to heal .  Alot of men on here after reading alot of the post were only talk to about the turp. Some Doctors do not say anything about any other procedure and they push it.  That is where get mad. If you have a very large prostate and the median lobe is in the bladder then you have no other choise then that is the only procedure that will get rid of it.  But if if your prostate is small you should be offered some other procedure that will do the same  I think a turp or laser should be a last resort.    My urologist  does not do many anymore because of the new procedure.  He has told me that he will not do it unless it is a emergency.  He has told me  to many men do not want to take the risk of having problems and they do not want retro. I wish all men that have picked a turp for there problem to have a speedy recovery.  They have to live with there decision.  I may say something that may not agree with everyone but when it comes down to it you make your own choise.  Good health to all  Ken     

16

hi just had turp. did follow up and said they found very small amount cancer. he acted like no big deal but came home and freaked out. psa 2.6 months mri 2.6 months see him 3 months so wondering why wait so long said do cancer under surveiellamce so little confused also 1st night w out catheter pee hurts burns better flow but still went every hour last night so another bad sleep night any feedback appreciated i am 51 my Psa last year was low