I just looked at a YouTube video of a "Urolift Procedure" and I must say that it actually looks very impressive. It certainly opens up the channel from the bladder thru the prostate and should help you pee more "freely" without the problem of the urethra being squeezed to death. I would love to talk to some guys that have had this done to see first hand of their experience and side effects. Thank You.
I just had the procedure on Monday in Australia - performed by Dr Peter Chin, the coinventor of Urolift. I am already seeing amazing results in the volume and velocity of my peeing. It is so good I could join the Fire Brigade as an extra hose. Post operation was not much fun though as there was quite a bit of bleeding as my prostate was so large - they had to use 3 Urolift devices on either side. There has been quite a bit of pain with peeing - for the first couple of days it was like peeing razor blades, however pain relief and other remedies helped get through it. So right now, Thursday, the pain is much better although I am still peeing a lot. I am told this is because my bladder wil continue to spasm, like it has been doing for years, until it is retrained. The surgeon says I had the Arnold Schwarzenegger of bladders. They have given me Vesicare to help with this for a while. This procedure has been well worth doing and going to make life so much better! Good luck
Hi Kamokid; I hope I can find a good Doctor here in the U.S.A. I don't want to travel 20 hours in the air to go that far. Take Care and best of luck to you.
Not sure where you are in the USA Chuck but Google this article as I suggest if they did it there first they would be one of the best candidates "First U.S. Patient Treated Following FDA Clearance of NeoTract's UroLift® System" .
Thanks for your wishes and good luck to you too.
Hi
You say your prostate was large. How big? My consultant says that anything over 60cc is a problem. Mine is about 80cc.
Best
Mike
Hi KamoKid, Now that more than a week has gone by are you almost pain free and are you still pleased with the results of your Urolift? I am 64 and have had BPH since I was 55. I would love to have the Urolift procedure since it is the only surgery that does not have long term side effects. however I have a small medium lobe and like you my prostate is quite large. Did you by chance have a medium lobe in your prostate? I am told that the procedure cannot be done if one has a medium lobe. I live in the US and many uroigists who do the urolift procedure are not even doing it if the prostate larger than 80 cc. That is about the size of mine.
Thanks, Terry
Yes it is now almost 12 days and very happy. Still a bit of pain while peeing but not razor blades (which they said was my bladder trying to close as it was so strong). The peeing is not coming out with quite the same velocity as couple days afterwards as it was but I think that is because the bladder was so strong. They say it takes a while for the bladder to catch up with the fact it does not need to be so strong. I am also taking Vesicare which helps to settle the bladder until it sorts itself out. This operation has been so good for me as I have been putting up with this problem for 15 years (now 56). I am sleeping better (although still getting up a couple of times a night, have much more energy and can think clearer. Also not sitting in meetings thinking I need to go again.
I have photos from the surgeon which showed my prostate was completely closing the uretha - it would have been hard to get a needle through - then the after photo shows an excellent big gap. They say no lifting or exercise for two weeks and i have been very careful with this as did not want to start bleeding again. Bedroom exercies were allowed to commence after a week and are still a bit painful but worthwhile. I think the pain is from bruising of the instruments. My prostrate was said to be 55cc based on the Ultrasoung but surgeon seemed to think it was bigger in reality. They had to use 3 Urolift devices on each lobe which is more then normal. When I first went to see them they said that 80cc was the upper limit too so I think you better get in there quick and get it done. From my point of view this operation has been a resounding success.
80cc is the upper limit - see my post to vacationterry.
Iam now wondering if insurance is going to pay for the urolift procedure. These new procedures get real tricky as to insurance allowing it. Wish there were more guys that have had this done. Would love to talk to somebody that had it done one and two years ago.
Suggest you take the bull by the horns and ask Chuck and if they say no hit them where it hurts!
BTW - for ebveryone following - now been 18 days since my Urolift and all the pain gone, only waking up once in the night and have had more energy than I ever remember having. Brain is not continually focusinhg on whether I need to pee or not! Leaving for EU in 2 weeks - 30 hours of flying from NZ and hoping to have worry free flyiung for first time in 10 + years!
Hi KamoKid; I meant to ask you a question. Right after your Urolift procedure how long did you have to wear a "catheter"??? Tell me about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day after the surgery. Pain, etc etc???
Yes I did have a catheter. They were nto sure before the op if I would need one but due to the size of the prostate there was quite a bit of bleeding so I needed one. It came out about 6am the net morning (op was at 10am). It was bloody unpleasant but juts as well as there was a lot of blood clots and they had to unblock them a few times by pushing a big syringe of saline up the catheter and drawing it back out. Woudl have been a real problem without that - not very pleasant either. A lot of pain peeing after catheter out - you think you want to go but you cant. You need to pee at least 150mls 3 times before they let you go. Had a lot of trouble with that but finally peeed 2 big blood clots out and I had a fire hose going. Day 2 and 3 were razor blade peeing with lots of volume but it just got better and better and I think razor blade feeling stopped after day 4 then it was more pain coming through the uretha - presume due to bruising of having things shoved up there. All well worth it though Chuck. I was not allowed to exercise until 14 days after, but have now got back to jogging and gym without any issues. When I run down th hill it still feels like I need to pee but as soon as I get on the lfat that feeling goes away - previously I felt like I needed to pee throughout most of the run and woudl need to stop and go - None of that now. First 50km cycle ride tomorrow.
Thank You for the update KamoKid. I appreciate that. Atleast I know what Iam in for. Take Care.
I would also like to ask you if you had to do it all over again would you??? In other words was it worth all the pain and expense???? How many times per night are you now getting up to pee???? That is the "ultimate" question.
Absolutely worth everything. Actually I it would be worth paying 10x what it cost personally for the benefit I am getting. Got up once last night slept from 10.50 till 5.30. Had my first bike ride and did not even haveto think about peeing until after about 1:45 of riding but then there was not desperateness and when I finished 15 minutes later I did not need to rush to the toilet, Did all sorts of other things before I eventually went. So no more panic times, which is just so good. I do a lot of lfying and sometimes had to go over 20 times on a 12 hour flight - what a disaster that was. Not expecting any of that when I fly to the EU on the 28th. When I came back from Sydney after the op which was abut 3.5 hours in the plane I went once where previously I may have had to go 5 or 6 times. It is so worth it Chuck. Stopping thinking about it and go book in!
THANK YOU KamoKid. I don't need to hear anymore. Iam now in hot pursuit of doing the "urolift". May the Good Lord above throw you down a "Special Blessing". Thank You again. Hope we can keep in touch over the weeks and months.
I have had BPH for close to 10 years and have been waiting for a new procedure without side effects like the Urolift. MY prostate has a small meddium lobe. It is not recommended for this procedure to be done for men with a medium lobe as the lobe can still block the urethra. I was wondering if anyone knows of someone who has had the Urolift done with a small medium lobe? Perhaps the urologist can remove that first? If someone does know of this being done, I would like to get the name of the doctor. Thanks!
Ideally you dont want the middle lobe touched with a knife as that can give you the complications of a turp. I actually think the fact that you have a small medium lobe is good not bad. When I was assessed before the Urolift my specialist, Dr Peter Chin, who is one of the coinventors of Urolift was concerned that my medium was large and he thought this might be the case as I was young to have prostate issues and he said that coudl be as I had a large medium lobe. If the medium lobe was big he said he had successfully tied it back with one of the other lobes using Urolift previously, but if it was too big he might have to cut it. Fortunately when he got the hubble telescope up there to take a look he found the right and left lobes were very big but middel lobe was small - operation notes say it was Grade 3 (>75gm) and minimal middle lobe - so it was just a normal Urolift although he needed to use 3 on each side. So you should be good on that basis to just get teh Urolift.
Thanks Chuck. Let me know how everything progresses! Where in the USA do you live. Good luck!
Hi KamoKid, THANK YOU for your response! Even the manufacture of the Urolift equipment states that prostates with a medium lobe should be excluded. That is because in most case BPH cases where there is a medium lobe, it is the medium lobe that is pressing in on the bladder and causing the problem - thus a Urolift won't work. Your experience with an urologist tying back the medium lobe during the procedure is exactly what I am looking for. Where is Dr Peter Chin located? I would like to consult with him. I live in the US in Oregon, but could travel. Thank you again for your encouraging coment. Terry