Enlarged prostate operation

[Alec5051]

Has anyone had this op and is it a succes as my doc keeps putting me off .

[Beta70]

I know a friend who has an enlarged prostate which has caused him urine retention. He has been given some tablets for this and catheterised, and supposedly the meds will eventually cause it to shrink and he will no longer need his catheter. He has had a scan and been told it definitely is not prostrate cancer, so they are not overly concerned. There has been no mention of an operation though. It must be a very worrying time for you. I hope you get the help you need.

[Hidden]

I can’t comment on your personal circumstances, but have some of my own to share which may be relevant. So, if you are struggling with poor urine flow, frequent visits to the toilet, hesitancy, and frequently getting up in the middle of the night you have likely been diagnosed with BPH (look it up), a condition which affects many men in advancing years, brought about by an ever increasing prostate size. However your GP should have, as basic checks at least, arranged PSA blood tests and a digital rectal examination of your prostate, to determine that your condition is not suspected to be malignant. If it is suspected malignant your treatment route is different. But for BPH alone and if you have previously been prescribed medication to help your condition, such as a muscle relaxant like Tamsulosin, and it is not effective any more, your GP should be more receptive and should at least be referring you for an ultrasound driven residual volume (RV) check. This actually only takes about 5 minutes and if you are unable to properly empty your bladder and the RV is more than about 350ml, you may be needing some form of surgical intervention such as a TURP (look it up). Indeed if the RV is more than 350ml they may only allow you to leave if catheterised, which assuredly you do not want. Anyway the danger of an increasing RV is that there is a danger of kidney damage as urine backs up to the kidneys, likelihood of UTIs, as well as a stretched bladder which may not be reversible. One non surgical solution is self catheterisation which is not ideal since it is not a cure and brings with it the real risk of frequent UTIs, although as a temporary solution, say whilst awaiting surgery, it is better than nothing. But ultimately if nothing is done and the condition worsens over time, there is a real danger of acute urinary retention (i.e. you can’t pee) which is a medical emergency and certainly a visit to A&E. And finally I have had two TURPs and although the first one wasn’t completely successful the second was, and overall I wish I had consented to have the procedure earlier.

[Hidden]

I haven’t it but I have an enlarged prostate and I asked the consultant the question and he said I would be incontinent. No way I’m having that op 🙈🙈🙈

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

There are risks with any medical intervention, and for a TURP, incontinence is one risk, but not a given. And the risks have to be balanced against the consequences of doing nothing, which apart from general inconvenience, include kidney damage, irreversible enlarged bladder, bladder muscle damage (through straining), UTIs, and stress incontinence (leaking). I put off having something done for at least 5 years and in the end decided that circumstances had become untenable and wished I had gone ahead earlier and was told by one very senior urology consultant that I should have been 'done' years earlier and may have left it too late for a normal outcome. However my TURP operations were successful, although uncomfortable at the time, but I have had worse stuff happen to me. And I am not incontinent, whereas it could be argued I was before in a small way as many men with untreated BPH find out.

[fishonabike in reply to Hidden]

As Lowerfield says, loss of bladder control is not inevitable as a result of prostate reduction, but it can happen - it is more likely to be the result if you delay , the prostate continues to enlarge and reducing it's size means doing more damage, thereby increase the possibility of incontinence

I know this sounds unlikely but many men find that the use of continence devices is actually easier than living with the dribbling, hesitation and frequent nocturnal toilet visits (and loss of sleep) they have to cope with

[peterjones105]

I also have BPH and am on Tamsulosin Hydrochloride, however having discovered Kegel exercises for men and being carrying them out several times a day for three months so far my flow is very much stronger, any other symptoms of BPH have largely vanished; you may also find as I have that they are a very effective stiffener, good luck

[Potatosareawesome]

Just to add there are a lot of more modern BPH procedure that have come out relatively recently and all available free on the NHS eg Rezum, Greenlight and Urolift (a staple that squishes the prostate out of the way, with no destruction/risk to sexual performance involved and done in outpatients/not really surgery)

Its worth checking if your Dr knows about these.

[CardioTT]

Yes, had a TURP about 7 or 8 years ago. No other options at the time. I didn't find it an overly pleasant experience but it significantly improved things and everything still 'worked' afterwards but possibly not as well as previously!

[kalgs]

Green light lazer treatment. Look it up

[fishonabike]

just to reassure you that this is a common operation which has been successfully carried out on millions of men for decades - as a trainee nurse in the early 80s i chose a person undergoing this operation for my first case study, so I have always had an interest in it

like all operations, there are risks, but after an initial period of loss of dignity and some discomfort (hospital gowns and a tube up your willy are never appealing!) the result for the huge majority of men is relief and liberation from the tyranny of the dribble!

if only there were such simple and effective solutions for some of the problems women have to live with!

[Alec5051 in reply to fishonabike]

thanks for your reply I have spoken to some one local that had the op 6 weeks ago and they are positive about the outcome only problem they had to wait 2 years.The doc put me on finisteride 6 weeks ago it did not help so i added the tamsolusin i still had and it does help.I see on line it could take up to 6 months for finisteride to be affective the doc didn't tell me that.

[fishonabike in reply to Alec5051]

i hope they help to make the condition more bearable until you can have the provedure