I have BPH (enlarged Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) and get up 2 to 3 times at night to urinate. I use Flomax daily.
My urology doctor says that I should get either GreenLight Laser (TUIP) or Transurethal resection of Prostate (TURP) surgery done. He says both procedures are safe. (He was leaning more towards Laser surgery).
My questions are:
a) Which one of the two procedures is safer?
b) After the surgery, urine flow will improve without medication but what about the FREQUENCY. Will I still have to get up at night to pass urine? (In other words, will it increase the capacity of my bladder?)
My doctor is non-committal. He says "it may".
He did not mention, but I now find out that he is participating in a study that uses 120-watt GreenLight Laser to treat enlarged prostates.
try asking another doctor
try asking another doctor
References :
I’m 56, 6’0″ 190 lbs with a relatively small prostate. I had urgency for a about 6 years (2 to 3 times a night) and finally diminished flow. I was getting routine painful prostatitis and lower back pain. I tried uroxaltrol and flomax and neither worked. Had a cysto that revealed tight bladder neck and a lump on one of the lobes of my prostate. No significant traditional BPH. A combined TURP and TUIP was recommended. I considered Green Light, but my doctor didn’t recommend it for a small prostate (big problem if you burn too close to the wall of a small prostate). The benefits are less bleeding, hence faster recovery. However he did say the “cut” was as clean or precise and material would slough off for several weeks. Since he was not doing an extensive resection, he recommended traditional TURP. The resectoscope is slightly larger with a TURP because of the tools…so he was careful to dialate my urethra. You are under a general so you don’t feel it until afterwards. Yes it burned for a few days (I took some vicidin and another drug that turns your pee orange for three days), and the flow improvement was not immediate due to swelling. Within a month however my flow was unbelievable, the prostatistis was gone and I was back to running 30 miles a week. I passed a small scab once, but it didn’t hurt. I still have a little urgency, but my doctor said it could take up to a year to train my bladder to clam down and hold more volume. Either way…it’s not a big issue. I have a little retrograde ejac and absolutely no incontinence. I feel fantastic and wished I had not waited so long to get this done. I know they are selling the green light big time…but what is most important is that your doctor is proficient in whatever theraphy you choose. I was fortunate to have an excellent doctor who was proficient in both traditional resection and laser…and knew the best procedure to use on me. Good luck to you all!!!!
please note the editing….The benefits OF GREENLIGHT are less bleeding, hence faster recovery. However he did say the “cut” was NOT as clean or precise AS TRADITIONAL RESECTION…
sorry about the confusion!
Additionally my doctor said the benefits of traditional resection is that you actually have a sample of the prostate that can be analyzed for infection and cancer. Green light vaporizes that sample. And…with a really large prostate a traditional resection cuts down on the time of surgery…always a good thing when your under a general!
cheers all everybody