Hi guys,
I am 59 y/o and been getting up 5/6 times a night to pee lately and been on Avodart for couple years but steadily getting worse so had green light prostate surgery just a week ago and thought I would add my experiences to the group.
Day of surgery:
Surgery booked for 7:45am – arrived at 6:00 – nothing to eat, only water to drink that day. Was given gown large enough for three people – I am 6’4” and it was the only one long enough! Elected to have spinal anesthetic - I prefer to know what is going on – call me crazy! Bit of a poke when needle went in back but really not bad – within 15 secs legs felt warm and numb in couple minutes from waist down. Lay on back with legs up in supports and draped and iodined, i/v in and given nice cool oxygen up the nose with a cannula. Given yellow lensed sunglasses against stray laser light, and the fun began.
Could feel vaguely when they inserted the cystoscope but no real pain – just a little discomfort when they passed the sphincter muscle. The lights were dimmed and lasering then started – I could see a bit of the fibre optics reflected in the face of one of the instruments so I know when the power was on by the green glow. Just for kicks and for something to do I started timing on and off periods by counting in my head and overall I made the laser on for about 25 mins out of the 45mins it took overall. No real pain at all during the procedure (I was well frozen) but could vaguely feel they withdrew the cystoscope and inserted a Foley catheter to start flushing the works out with saline but all very bearable – able to make some jokes with the friendly anesthetist. After that, lights back on and wheeled to recovery ward alongside a broken leg, a gall bladder, and a vasectomy case. Freezing gradually wore off over a couple of hours from chest level down. Nurse checked where level of sensation was with rubber glove filled with ice. Felt OK – slight discomfort from catheter but no nausea or dizziness – in fact felt pretty hungry! After couple hours – sent to urology ward and given light lunch of mainly fluids – beef broth, tea, apple juice, jello. Still hungry so nurse got me an egg sandwich – boy that was good!
All this time they were irrigating the prostate and bladder with saline through the Foley catheter and keeping the I/V going slowly but no meds or pain relief needed. Irrigated fluid was pink at first and they wanted this to be a straw colour before I could be released. That evening able to walk up corridor pushing I/V stand to keep legs mobile – managed to get some sleep as staying in overnight. Had bit of abdominal discomfort due bloating but Tyleno 3 saw to the pain quickly.
Day 2
Next day – real food for breakfast! Had a bit of a bladder spasm which was a bit painful, but not too bad and after a couple hours nurse removed catheter. Yowsa! That made me gasp a bit but only lasted couple seconds and not really too bad considering the size of the thing! After a few minutes – no real pain – now for the first post op pee! Bit bloody and passed couple clots but talk about a stream! Bit a a cramp afterwards but went off after couple mins. Couple more hours and two pees later – colour much lighter and discharged to be driven home by my wife. Had to take antibiotic (ciprofloxin) for 3 days and given Tylenol 3 but only needed couple times. Got reasonable sleep - only up 3 times!
Day 3
Drinking lots of water and stayed in bed - - advise drink 1.5 liters / day and don’t let bowels get constipated – taking Metamucil. More you can pee = sooner it heals and must not let urine gat acidic (no citrus or alcohol) or too concentrated. During day peeing about every 1.5 hours and about 250ml with occasional clots and pink with some burning afterwards but OK if lie down. During day color improved to straw color and got up and watched TV. That night got up 3 times again. No pain meds needed.
Days 4/5/6
Getting better – much less pain – good colour unless I do something too active or have a BM when getr some bleeding but soon clears. Stream is good – only real issue is “referred” pain in tip of penis that is really from prostate area but nerve pathways apparently move it forward. TIP: try and get one of those inflatable “travel pillows”: that are supposed to go round you neck when you are asleep on a plane and put a very small amount of air in it and use it to sit on, e.g. when driving. Because this has a gap in front can use it to relieve pressure on the sore area. So that’s where we are at – will update more in few weeks. Overall – I think it will be good but at least in my case is taking longer to heal than advertised and maybe a bit more pain than I thought but hoping for good long term results.
I am 59 y/o and been getting up 5/6 times a night to pee lately and been on Avodart for couple years but steadily getting worse so had green light prostate surgery just a week ago and thought I would add my experiences to the group.
Day of surgery:
Surgery booked for 7:45am – arrived at 6:00 – nothing to eat, only water to drink that day. Was given gown large enough for three people – I am 6’4” and it was the only one long enough! Elected to have spinal anesthetic - I prefer to know what is going on – call me crazy! Bit of a poke when needle went in back but really not bad – within 15 secs legs felt warm and numb in couple minutes from waist down. Lay on back with legs up in supports and draped and iodined, i/v in and given nice cool oxygen up the nose with a cannula. Given yellow lensed sunglasses against stray laser light, and the fun began.
Could feel vaguely when they inserted the cystoscope but no real pain – just a little discomfort when they passed the sphincter muscle. The lights were dimmed and lasering then started – I could see a bit of the fibre optics reflected in the face of one of the instruments so I know when the power was on by the green glow. Just for kicks and for something to do I started timing on and off periods by counting in my head and overall I made the laser on for about 25 mins out of the 45mins it took overall. No real pain at all during the procedure (I was well frozen) but could vaguely feel they withdrew the cystoscope and inserted a Foley catheter to start flushing the works out with saline but all very bearable – able to make some jokes with the friendly anesthetist. After that, lights back on and wheeled to recovery ward alongside a broken leg, a gall bladder, and a vasectomy case. Freezing gradually wore off over a couple of hours from chest level down. Nurse checked where level of sensation was with rubber glove filled with ice. Felt OK – slight discomfort from catheter but no nausea or dizziness – in fact felt pretty hungry! After couple hours – sent to urology ward and given light lunch of mainly fluids – beef broth, tea, apple juice, jello. Still hungry so nurse got me an egg sandwich – boy that was good!
All this time they were irrigating the prostate and bladder with saline through the Foley catheter and keeping the I/V going slowly but no meds or pain relief needed. Irrigated fluid was pink at first and they wanted this to be a straw colour before I could be released. That evening able to walk up corridor pushing I/V stand to keep legs mobile – managed to get some sleep as staying in overnight. Had bit of abdominal discomfort due bloating but Tyleno 3 saw to the pain quickly.
Day 2
Next day – real food for breakfast! Had a bit of a bladder spasm which was a bit painful, but not too bad and after a couple hours nurse removed catheter. Yowsa! That made me gasp a bit but only lasted couple seconds and not really too bad considering the size of the thing! After a few minutes – no real pain – now for the first post op pee! Bit bloody and passed couple clots but talk about a stream! Bit a a cramp afterwards but went off after couple mins. Couple more hours and two pees later – colour much lighter and discharged to be driven home by my wife. Had to take antibiotic (ciprofloxin) for 3 days and given Tylenol 3 but only needed couple times. Got reasonable sleep - only up 3 times!
Day 3
Drinking lots of water and stayed in bed - - advise drink 1.5 liters / day and don’t let bowels get constipated – taking Metamucil. More you can pee = sooner it heals and must not let urine gat acidic (no citrus or alcohol) or too concentrated. During day peeing about every 1.5 hours and about 250ml with occasional clots and pink with some burning afterwards but OK if lie down. During day color improved to straw color and got up and watched TV. That night got up 3 times again. No pain meds needed.
Days 4/5/6
Getting better – much less pain – good colour unless I do something too active or have a BM when getr some bleeding but soon clears. Stream is good – only real issue is “referred” pain in tip of penis that is really from prostate area but nerve pathways apparently move it forward. TIP: try and get one of those inflatable “travel pillows”: that are supposed to go round you neck when you are asleep on a plane and put a very small amount of air in it and use it to sit on, e.g. when driving. Because this has a gap in front can use it to relieve pressure on the sore area. So that’s where we are at – will update more in few weeks. Overall – I think it will be good but at least in my case is taking longer to heal than advertised and maybe a bit more pain than I thought but hoping for good long term results.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.