My urologist is recommending Urolift. Another urolgist says that the results haven’t been that great. I dont know who to believe. Any advice?
Dan,
Do extensive research. My doctor made it out as the big fix. Zero improvement and a lot to go through medically. In fact caused another less than serious issue. So do your homework for sure. For me definitely not worth the experience.
Good luck,
L.
I had one done, first few months it helped about 50%. Then back to the same. I self cath now, its the best way to go until they come up with something that works, im 61 and had it done about 4 yrs ago.self cath is easy and quick and discreet and you empty completly every time.good luck with your decision
Have you researched Aquablation?
It turned out to be a bad decision for me, extremely painful, didn’t help at all, and I ended up having to get two of the clips removed because they protruded into my bladder.If you look at reviews on the urologists or Urolift websites they will all be great, but I found that my negative reviews don’t seem to make it on thier sites.There have been a few that have been successful but the success rate is probably closer to 40 % than the 95% they will claim.
I had it done in AUGUST OF THIS YEAR AND IT WAS THE WORST DECISION I EVER MADE. I had to self cath for 6 weeks after the procedure and then began to pee on my own again, but it went back to like it was before the procedure which is still better than what i went through after the procedure. I was always able to pee on my own, just didnt empty my bladder. Everyone is different, but i would never recommend this to anyone that can still go on their own. Good luck
I had it done in October of '18 and have had problems ever since. I have had chronic constipation and no relief for urgency and frequency, along with a lot of pain. Start with a PAE.
Dan 25410,
I will be following this thread. My Urologist only does this Urolift or a TURP , In my medcial group I am with ( Northern California, Sacramento/Roseville area) there is talk of them starting to do rezum but I’ve
heard pros and cons about that. On this site there are many comments about all the BPH options. It is
confusing to say the least and keep track of what seems to be reported as working and others will offer
up negative comments of their experience. I am 63, and have had symptoms of BPH for about 14 years. Only diagnosed 18 months ago. I am not in any critical postion at present. Don’t have to self cath yet, I take 1 cap, lowest dose of Flomax at present and this works great right now. Still have urgency issues./
John 53959
After my research I chose PAE, at least as a first step to get off the drugs (Tamsulosin and Silodosin) that helped but didn’t really agree with me in other ways. I’m happy for now, but still following BPH treatments as I have concerns about the future.
Had a Medlift done 13 months ago (Urolift for a median lobe). Peeing enough that I only have to CIC about every 5 days or so, and no side effects or meds, so compared to where I was taking Rapaflow and doing CIC 3-4 times a day I consider it mostly successful. My bladder was pretty stretched and probably would be peeing better if it was in better shape. I think Urolift has better success if the bladder is not too distended.
Treating BPH is anything but a simple decision process. Lots of alternatives, all dependent to some degree or another on the individual’s anatomy and as you’ve seen significant variability in the outcomes.
I had a fairly uneventful recovery from UroLift (5 clips) with a gradual improvement in symptoms. A few days of peeing out clots & blood with some discomfort mainly in the 1st 24 hours. The effectiveness of mine was limited by an obstructive middle lobe which at the time (2016) could not be treated with UroLift. Ultimately I had to start looking for more aggressive treatments after about 2 years.
Do your research. There are many options out there, procedures and meds, and the choice is dependent on your situation. I chose PAE, and it helped enough so that I could get off the meds, (but not as much as I had hoped).
Rich
What is CIC? I couldn’t find anything about that acronym pertaining to urology.
Thanks for sharing. Can i ask what was the next step after 2 years? My urologist said that to really get it taken care of, you TURP is the best long term solution, but it comes with the loss of ejaculation.
Yes, one urologist at my medical group has stopped doing Urolift for this reason. Another uologist there told me that he still does it, because he has a better technique, and if he “could blow his own horn” more skill at making this procedure work.
clean intermittent cathing
How can self cath be quick? It sounds like it would be painful, difficult, and a lot of work. How do you keep the catheter clean while you are at work, shopping, etc?
Use one time use disposable catheters. It takes a little longer than just peeing, but not bad. Zipper to zipper in under five minutes. If you do it properly, taking your time and not pushing very hard as you insert, it is not painful.
No, but i will check it out. Thanks!
My urologist, Dr Warner at City of Hope in Pasadena told me that his success rate is around 80%, but he’s the only Dr. there who is still willing to do Urolift. Another doctor there said that he doesn’t do it any more, because of the results, like those you mentioned. But he did say that he as a better technique than other doctors, and more skill. Hard to know if this is true . . .