Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Aquablation of the prostate - follow up notes..

had the procedure done on Oct 5th.....


AQUABLATION PROCEDURE
Patient NOTES



Oct 4, 2023
Suspended Tamsulosin, Dutasteride and Cialis daily
Oct 5, 2023 OPERATION DATE
0940 – taken to OR
1015 – procedure began
1100 – Completed
1145 – Conscious
Only discomfort is from catheter.
Constant urge to urinate.
NO pain or discomfort in groin.
1515 no indication, sensation, feeling, discomfort that anything had been done in groin.
1530 noticeable increase in urge to urinate.
Noticeable increase in discomfort – urine collection bag FULL
Once emptied immediately relief.
Attempted 3 or 4 Kegels, No reaction, no sensation, pain or discomfort
1545 – All good
1700 urge to urinate diminishing.
From 1130 to 1700L – near 21 litres saline flushed through bladder.
1945 Approx. 33L fluid flushed through bladder.
Oct 6
Discharged approx. 1300
1400 – showered, passed out, went to bed.

Oct 9
0900 – First dose of Ketorolac
1030 Office visit
Catheter removed – WONDERFUL!!!
1330 – waiting to urinate 1st time without catheter, NO leaking.
1445 1st urination – one large blood clot, very little burning/stinging, NO leaking when finished.
Oct 10
0900 up 4 times last night, still no burning/stinging
NO Ketorolac since yesterday at 0900.
Oct 11
Up 2 times last night
Urine still pinkish/orange color
Took last AZO at 0900
‘Flacid’ appearance returning to normal
Passed something that looks like a whitish, cream colored thread.

Oct 12
3 mile walk.

Oct 13
Mowed the yard
Oct 11-18
Blood in urine stream, bright at start, clears shortly after.
Minor stinging during urination.
Occasional feeling of urgency to urinate.
Night ‘trips’ 1-3.
Oct 19
0800 Urination - passed small blood clot.
1000 Urination – passed small piece of tissue.
2100 Stinging subsiding
Oct 28/29
Significant reduction in red/pink color to urine.
Stinging continues.
Nov 2
Mowed yard/ walked 3 miles.
Passed two pieces of tissue, largest to date – RECOVERED.
Stinging continues.
Nov 4
Passed two small pieces of tissue.
Feeling of urgency intensifying.
Urine color – continues to clear.
When standing from a sitting position sudden onset or urgency to urinate.
After urination, pink color on TP is gone.
Nov 7 – passed largest piece of tissue to date, not recovered.
Stinging continues, urgency continues, night trips 1 or 2.
Nov 9 – Sudden urgency continues, particularly when standing from a sitting position. Frequency of urgency seems to be increasing.
1 night trip… Stinging continues.



So far probably a 3 fold increase in urine stream, sudden onset of urgency and stinging during urination continues.

All other functions normal...

I was not a candidate for either TURPS or EUROLIFT, prostate described as massive and it was getting to where the meds were not 'keeping up'....

As an aside, during the procedure, a noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma, low-grade, was removed from bladder wall.....

Sounds positive, but still a pretty tough road to hoe. I hope that you continue to heal well and completely.

What exactly is an Aquablation procedure?

Am I understanding this right?

In 8 hours 15 minutes they pushed over 8 gallons of saline through your bladder?
(Wasn't sure if that should be a question mark or exclamation point!)



What doest that even look like?
Certainly not an IV?
Some kind of garden hose into your bladder beside the draining catheter?


Hoping thing continue to improve,
hoping things look up!😉

BMG for the prostate? Prayers sent for you. At 70 plus I may need that myself some day. RZ.

Prayer for healing

The catheter, a Foley, comes with several 'channels' one allows fluid from the bladder to exit, one is used to blow up the balloon that holds it all in your bladder, and one is used to allow fluid INTO the bladder..

There were two bags flowing unfettered for near 24 hours, lost count of the bags, but it was over 20, at 3 litres a bag.....

Hope it all works out, I ended up in great pain and unable to urinate over three four years ago.
They did the turps and not an issue since.

Where did you have the procedure done and who did it, when are the after effects supposed to subside? How serious is the side effects, after? I have discussed prostrate treatment with by hand surgical patients from Pensacola and the robotics patients from Birmingham, never seen or discussed the results of this procedure before. Family has a history.

My local urologist, performed at the local hospital, side effects can last up to three months...

...so far the most uncomfortable part of the procedure is/was the catheter.

Shoreline Uro Care, Brooksville FL

I'm sure they did but did they check your PSA and testosterone levels. I had prostate cancer in 2015. Cancer free so far ever since! Good luck to you and hope you heal fast!

Have you or are you expected to resume your prostate related medications? I was prescribed cialis by my urologist. He suggested that it may have some benefit in preventing prostate issues. I can say that cialis combined with using a cpap machine has virtually eliminated my night time trips to bathroom. I drink a lot of water and I was getting up at-least three times a night.
please keep us posted regarding your recovery/results.

Thanks!

Yes, PSA levels were generally good. I have always had relatively high testosterone levels which the Dutasteride lowers. The issue was the meds were no longer keeping up with the issues of extremely large prostate. Tamsulosin and, Dutasteride worked for a long time. Added Cialis 5mg, the daily dose, initially at 3/4 days per week, basically every other day, finally went to every day. That worked for a while. Then 'grew' a median lobe that protruded into the bladder. As mentioned condition was beyond the scope of TURPS and UROLIFT.

Additionally, granddad had prostate cancer, dad had his removed due to cancer.



The 'plan' is that I should never need to go back on the meds.

The three meds do not cure anything, they simply alleviate the issue re: urination.

I queried the Dr a while back about stopping the Dutasteride, which is a hormonal drug with some rather undesired side effects, and just going with the Tamsulosin and Cialis. The Dutasteride shrinks the prostate, which provides for urinary relief, and you may be fine with just the other two. However, should the need arise for a biopsy, it's easier to find the cancer in a smaller prostate than a larger one.... I tried going off the Dutasteride but the symptoms slowly returned.

In general I am well pleased with recovery so far, had the one month follow-up yesterday. Dr says it will continue to get better, known issues are the stinging during urination, which seems to be subsiding. And the sudden onset or urge to pee..... IMMEDIATELY!

And the answer to the question that most have, and none have, courteously, asked

Completely normal sexual function 6 days after procedure...........

Tomorrow will be exactly two months since procedure, things are progressing well....

Completely OFF BPH meds since 4 Oct, all desired outcomes have been met, only remaining symptom is urgency to urinate, which should diminish over time....

As mentioned procedure was at 0900 on the 5th and discharged around 1300 on the 6th....

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So far $238,787 has been billed, Drs, Hosp, Anesth, Equip, Meds..........

PAID: Medicare $12,247

BCBS $1,905

Owed by me: Zip, Nil, Nada $0


A few decades back Congress passed a Law that required 'Truth in Labeling' or similar, basically if it was in the 'ketchup' you had to put it on the label....

I'm thinking there needs to be a 'Truth in Billing' LAW.....


YMMV

I'm lined up for an MRI on mine.

Coming up on 5 months out of procedure.

Out comes, results are wonderful. Back to normal, when the urge hits, can continue on for sometimes an hour or more before having to pee.

Stream has increased nearly triple in size. Can now pee with an arc. And past my boots.

Kegels actually assist in finishing now.

Bottom line, so much better, able to make it through the night....

Yes. Cialis is great. Many men take Flomax and suffer with many side effects.... retrograde ejaculation, fatique, etc. but they can quit Flomax if put on Cialis.
I got switched about 4 years ago and I'm doing fine.

I tried to quit tamsulosin, didn't work, went to cialis because the other two were not getting it done...

Off all of them now since the procedure...

I had HOLeP a week ago, works great so far. Aquabalation was available but too far away if I had any problems. Both of these will be standards in the future, especially for large prostates. The re-treatment rate on TURP, Green Light, and Urolift aren’t encouraging. No way I’d consider Urolight they are complex to correct. My prostate was 109 grams.

Sounds like you had excellent results.

Did they test the tissue removed?

I’m thrilled to be catheter free after 14 months, and off the drugs.