Green Light Laser Surgery

To all of my colleagues here on HW.

Of all the posts I have written over the yrs..never have I hoped for at least a few supportive and/or informative replies than I do now.

I do not have prostate cancer..but BPH.

Third week of February...my enlarged prostate..(Which I knew would eventually have to be addressed ) really acted up--I went to the ER--unable to urinate.

Thank God for my long time excellent Urologist here in Philly--who I have been seeing for 20 yrs.

While in the ER of the Hospital (he is not affiliated with) I e-mailed him...telling him..I needed the "Green Light Laser" procedure-(We had discussed it in May of this yr when I saw him.)

Tho he only operates on Wed- & was booked...(weeks ahead) he "Made some space" to do mine the following Wed--(It is a short procedure--60- 90 mins)

OK....had it done...Wed 24 Feb...(Coming up on 4 wks)

Stayed overnight w a catheter---Was told me Prostate was "Very large"--

Was released...the next morning--all went well--

Now to "cut to the chase"-

My urination is now quite good- Tho I get up 5 or 6 times/nite to pee

His PA....(and he..himself) told me after surgery...."For the next,,,6,,,8...weeks or more...you are gonna see all kindsa stuff when you pee. Sometimes blood will come out...clots...dark urine etc"

Basically,,....there is a large "scab" on the prostate that needs to "shed"--!

When I went last week to see his PA.....I urinated & she did the ultrasound--& I was evacuating well--! (My urine was the color of "Hawaiian Punch"...)

She said all looked good- but me...be the incurable worry wart----started to worry last week....when after "normal urinations".....5 mins later or so--- I need to "go" again....& out came...red blood...with a big clot or two.

I e-mailed my Urologist bout this--he was kind enough to call me to reassure me--"Richard...you had a very big prostate. You have a large scab on it--that needs to shed.-Don't worry."

Even tho--at the time..I felt better---Whenever I get one of those.."red urinations...with the clots...I FREAK OUT !!

I think to myself....WHEN will this eventually heal..??

WHEN will this bleeding stop..???

I am not doing any lifting etc---following all instructions...no aspirin..no caffeine...etc---BUT,,,,..WHY this continued..(NOT all the time) periods of blood with clots.???

I know I am driving my very nice/kind....excellent Urologist....a bit crazy w my e-mails..(One w a photo..of the clots from my iphone)

I am drinking lots of water & most of the time...my peeing is "normal" colored-- but..WHY thee episodes..of "blood/clots"..?

He told me.."Richard,,...this will take,,,6.8 weeks or more !

I fear I am losing blood (He assured me..I am not) says body makes blood quickly & the blood I see...is very small.

OK--my question--

Is there ANYONE...out there in the HW community...who has had the "Green Like Laser" surgery (A big improvement over the old fashioned..."TURP "...as they do not cut- but the laser...."vaporizes"...the Prostate tissue....keeping bleeding to a minimum...! )

But...you have read my long post-& I HOPE I can get..1...2 or more who have HAD this "Green Light Laser"...procedure--& can give me some or any feedback,,,!

What was your experience..?? Please...any feedback/support will be greatly appreciated !!!-

Thank you all so much...! (Again,,here my neurosis "kicks in"....where the Dr--tells me...one thing..more than once....yet...I still worry--)

Anyone out there that can help..?? I;d be sooo thankful !-

Kindest regards,
Richard

Thanks Allen,

Your words were most helpful.

Did you have the "Green Light Laser"..???

BTW..I AM.....seeing a therapist.....& she always says..I engage in......."catastrophic thinking"...in other words..I always think the worst,..even after being assured---

Thanks again,
Richard
(Please ignore my "goofy" nickname..I got in College...as I was a big fan of "Norse Mythology"....& showed up once...at a Halloween party...as Odin...or "Wotan"...! The name stuck--LOL)

Thanks, Allen...
Yes....trying to change a set way of thinking...really takes time & practice-

BTW...My Urologist (an excellent one...who has written peer reviewed journal articles...on this procedure- has assured me..mine went well--won't need another (my urine stream is now strong & flows easy)- just that...I do ruminate over things..(Blood clots...blood in urine)--that I was told...right after the surgery...to expect !!!

I guess tho I heard what the Drs...said..I really did not "listen"....& my "Stinkin Thinkin'"....kicked in-!-

Gotta work to change that--as you correctly stated-

Thanks again---anyone else have the "Green Light Laser"

Just had my greenlight a week ago. All your docs answers are true, and as you Ill need patience. My bladder had beefed itself up to a score of 2.5 plus so may never atrophy or soften to what it once was but it will somewhat. Right now have gone through bloody to clear, back to pink and today clear again ( in one week!) And when I rsalize I gotra pee, I got about ten seconds!
Drink water all you can...itll wash you out as well as begin retraining your bladder and bladder sphincter muscle.
I have no trouble now and as the last of it flows out it actually feels good, something I havent experienced for 20 years! Ahhhhhhhhhh!! Sometimes we take the simplest things for granted.....😊

Lets keep comparing notes....nice to find someone in my boat with me!

John

Hi Vdang2k.
Long post with lots of info!

Okay, been three and a half weeks now and I could not be happier with my results....should have done this a few years ago to save my bladder from all it's muscle! I made the best choice and have a darn good Uroligist who us pretty gifted with a laser!
Haven't had a third round of bleeding but I can feel that the prostate is still tender.....sometime soon I expect to start losing those scabs but I believe the bleeding is healed up. (I had a Laparascopic hernia repair at the same time so have to be extra careful lifting but so far that hasnt been an issue).
Got my medical records and here are a few items. My prostate was smaller...45 grams ir so and my Urologist probably excised 30 grams from the unsude. I had two lobes and the left was huge...with severe obstruction.
The TURP took about 22 minutes with 16 minutes of laser time. My Urologist never used over 80 watts as its not needed on smaller prostates...higher power is better used for larger ones and better at longer ranges. The Docs who use high power for speed? Easier to make errors and you do NOT want any slips or errors!!
My Doc is the "slow and safe" type which works for me!
I went home with a Foley catheter and bag which I pulled (in the shower!!) the next day.
My first pee in the shower actually felt great (albeit pretty pink!) And the bladder drained down completely by itself without pushing!
Hollowing out the prostate causes a lot of cavitation as does the stretching of your urethra so the urine stream(?) Is more like a kitchen sink sprayer for a few days until the urethra shrinks down to normal (the tube the doc shoves up there is 8-10 mms, so it stretches and causes some trauma...used my hunting urinal for first week to save time not havung to mop the floir after each trip to the head. it's still tender after three weeks but much less than day 1!
Hard to sit in a hard chair....didnt try but guessing a hemorrhoid pillow might work well. First few days felt like I was sitting in a hot coal but lessened to a dull ache that has slowly subsided.I
As if today the ache is almost gone and the only things not back to normal are my bladder capacity and sense of urgency. My Urologists PA told me that althiugh my bladder will still hold a lit, it signals that I gotta pee after ut has just a few ounces in it, and then I have to go asap.
Now my stream is strong and controllable, I can start and stop it so that all works. It'll take up to a year for it to retrain itself to hold mire....like the full gauge us un need of calibration but will recalibrate itself eventually.
I specifically hammered home the point to my doc that I wanted him to be VERY careful around the bladder sphincter and the Verumontanum, as I didn't want to be permanently incontinent or impotent. He was indeed as I have full control of that muscle so that's okay, and I can easily get an erection (YES!!). I was instructed to abstain frim sex for 4-6 weeks and told that as long as I am still a bit tender to wait a few more days....thats maybe the toughest thing for us, and while I was still in recovery my Urologist spoke to my wife telling her he knew my type, and to make sure I didnt rush the return to intimacy!
So, I can say for sure that the erections are still as they were and I'm sure that Ill be able to have good orgasms again (next week maybe?) But the jury is still out as to the possibility of retrograde ejaculations - although as the final results looked in my souvenir "after" pic and his report I'm betting I have a good chance of those the same as before....will keep you posted if you want to know.
As for niw, I'm extremely happy with my results. We take things for granted and don't miss things when they're gone, but honestly, it feels GOOD to pee again, totally draining out without having to push! I haven't felt that in almost twenty years!
It's one if those little free good feeling things the man upstairs gave us and sometimes we take for granted, until they're gone.
'd recommend that anyone with BHP really consider the greenlight laser sooner rather than later. Life with Flomax sucked, but now being off that all those weird side effects have gine away tio and my life is much better.
If yoy have BHP eventually mist need intervention and the meds just buy a bit if time. As I said, I wish I'd opted for this a few years ago!

Hit the 4 week mark today and per the doc if I felt okay could try a little sex.
Well, first trial was...weird.
I expected the retrograde ejaculation that others seemed pertty negatuve about, but that didn't entirely happen. Sorta like half-forward, half-backward....?
Not quite what I expected but still a bit tender and not quite healed yet, so the jury is still out....
BUT....either way it still felt great....no liss if "WOW"!, Just a bit different.
If ut chabges, as ling as I keep the "WOW" I'll take it happily, as its sooooo goid to pee with ease again!
And uf ut improves, it'll still be great.😁