# Anybody with TURP surgery experience? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931 "2012-02-25T06:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/21 "2016-09-23T23:19:37Z")
**Mark in Florida** , thanks for the detailed post. Could you PM me your surgeon’s name? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![BigBruno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BigBruno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBruno)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/22 "2016-12-08T16:44:43Z")
Thanks for sharing your journey. Hope you are doing ok. I had PVP Green Light laser 2 years ago. Then had TURP about 10 days ago. Now I have urgency, frequency, pain, spasm and weak stream. Doc said my symptoms are normal and will get better over next few days/weeks/months. Hope he’s right. Thanks again for sharing. > [@Mark\_in\_Florida](#): > > I had B-TURP, bipolar resection of the prostate, on August 26, 2016, at the age of 59 years and 8 months. > > I had researched alternatives to TURP, which remains the “gold standard” according to most of the medical literature, with HOLEP (aka HOLAP) a strong contender, especially for very large prostates, and other emerging therapies being introduced in far-flung locales which seek to minimize the pain and side effects TURP and, in particular, avoid retrograde ejaculation, which is a feature of both TURP and HOLEP. > > After my head-spinning, perhaps-too-thorough research of all the treatments, including steam ablation (four doctors in Texas offering that) and a study at a local hospital of prostate artery embolization, in the end I came back to B-TURP, which is the tried-and-true surgery my urologist in Plantation, Florida, recommends and performs. (To quote the conclusion of one of many articles on the subject, “Bipolar TURP is safer than monopolar TURP because of lower risk for TUR syndrome [not something you want to happen to you], less intraoperative bleeding, and lower incidence of postoperative complications.” > > BACKGROUND: As I slid from my 40s into my early 50s, I began having symptoms of BPH, benign prostatic hyperplasia, with the need to urinate more frequently and a progressively weaker and erratic urine stream. Eventually, symptoms of urgency to urinate became a problem as well, which is especially inconvenient when you’re out and about and, for me, even at my place of employment, which in my BPH-filtered opinion has too few bathrooms for the size of the staff. Reluctantly, because I was concerned with side effects including fainting, I began taking tamsulosin around the age of 56, which was prescribed by my primary care physician (PCP). Tamsulosin made ejaculation difficult, somewhat less pleasurable, but not impossible. (And I never fainted.) But in the last year before my surgery, the benefits of tamsulosin petered out (pun intended). I tried switching briefly to Rapaflow, a non-generic cousin of tamsulosin that my PCP said some patients had more success with, but it did nothing for me. I took the next step of seeing a urologist this past March. We talked about surgical options, but he recommended I first try tamsulosin in combination with AvoDart, which had recently become available as the generic dutasteride. I was concerned about the side effects but he told me very few patients experienced the most alarming of these, such as breast enlargement (and a high-pitched squeaky voice—just kidding). And I resolved myself to retrograde ejaculation, which, while definitely not as pleasurable as normal ejaculation, is something that can be improved upon with practice. > > The dutasteride began working well within a month, and I forgot about surgery. However, after four months, when my doctor said I should expect the full benefits of the wonder drug, I was already reverting to my previous symptoms, minus the urgency. I would have intermittently strong urine streams followed by weaker ones, and although the frequency of urination had halved itself at night (from about six pees to three or four), the doctor and I ruefully agreed that this was still too much to have a decent night’s sleep. Further, the ultrasounds that I had at each appointment with my urologist showed I was retaining urine in my bladder, which was responsible for the frequency because my bladder didn’t empty completely. The urologist said that if this progressed further the stale urine held in the bladder can lead to kidney damage. Whoa… that was enough to get me back on the surgery bandwagon. As I said previously, after much research and discussing the options thoroughly with my urologist, who candidly told me that every urologist will tell you that their preferred procedure is “the best,” I decided on his beloved B-TURP. (And the guy is only about 40, so he doesn’t do TURP because of some nostalgia for the good old days.) > > PRE-SURGICAL TESTING:, My urologist ordered a cystoscopy, to look into my prostate and bladder. The nurse numbed my penis with lidocaine and the procedure was not particularly painful but it was an odd sensation of pressure when the scope went into my bladder. After the test, which lasted about 2 minutes and 15 minutes of prep, the urologist said I had a large prostate (ha!) and no tumors in my bladder (good news and I’m glad I hadn’t considered that possibility before he mentioned it). He also said there might be blood in my urine the next day (not so) and pain on urination (yes, for a day, and bearable). > > The next procedure the following week was urodynamics, to test the health and functioning of the bladder. By now I had resigned myself to the embarrassment of having strangers stick things into my pee-hole and, in this case, also a small catheter in the rectum, to help measure “pressure.” This test was not done with anesthesia but was not exactly painful, just very awkward. I also had a couple of electrodes (EKG-style) stuck on my body, and then let the games begin! The technician filled my bladder slowly with a sterile water, and instructed me to let her know when I had an urgency to urinate along the lines of “Okay, you’re at the mall and you have to find a bathroom.” When I felt this way, she noted it on her computer which was purring and clicking while she told me my bladder was doing all the right things. Next, she told me to tell her when I absolutely had to—must—pee. At that point, she instructed me to urinate into a collection device that was part of the chair I was in. Mind you, the small catheter in my penis was still inserted and I had to pee “past” it. The urine stream was much weaker than I had hoped based my sensation of having a full bladder. When I thought I was done, she turned off the program but I told her I had more urine to surrender to the container. “Oh, she said, a double void. Okay. Well, just go ahead. Because I’ve already stopped the test, I may have to ‘cath” you again to see now much urine is still in there after you finish.” At that moment, I hated her, but when I finished my second void she said she thought she could get by with an ultrasound. She had the urologist’s excellent nurse come in and they concluded I had 200 cc left in my bladder. (300 cc if usually considered enough to warrant concern.) However, I had previously had less than that on my two previous ultrasounds and I didn’t think much of it, considering the unique awkwardness of the procedure. And on the plus side, she said that my bladder was perfectly healthy, and that the urine retention was probably cause by pressure from the large prostate, meaning surgery should effectively reduce the amount of retention. Hooray. (This test was followed by another day of painful yet bearable urination, which I believe is par for the course when things go into the penis in the wrong direction). > > Next up, I scheduled the surgery four weeks out with the staff’s surgical coordinator, who told me I needed to consult with my primary care physician to get cleared for surgery, which included blood work, an EKG, and a chest X-ray, all of which had to be done no earlier than 30 days from surgery. The tests came back and I was good to go. > > SURGERY DAY: I arrived at my hospital at 10:00 am to check in for surgery scheduled at noon. Technically, I was in the outpatient surgical department of the hospital and would be kept for “23 hours” for observation, meaning I’d spend the night in a hospital room but wasn’t formally “admitted.” This is apparently a legal distinction which can make your stay more or less expensive depending on your insurance plan. For me, it was less expensive. I was checked in by a pre-surgical nurse and then interviewed by the anesthesiologist, who told me I’d be having general anesthesia. The nurse put me on a bed and fitted me with an IV line, which would stay in until my departure from the hospital. Later, my two surgical nurses stopped by to introduce themselves. Then the pre-surgical nurse gave me an anti-nausea, anti-vomiting drug through my IV, prescribed by the anesthesiologist, and we all waited for my urologist, who arrived about an hour late with a perfunctory apology. The pre-surgical nurse then gave me what she called an “margarita” through my IV. It must have been Valium or something similar, because as they wheeled me off to surgery I didn’t have a care in the world. I vaguely remember seeing the operating room and the hustle and bustle of numerous people in there before I was out for good. I woke up in recovery where I stayed for about an hour or perhaps longer. I believe I had been in surgery for just about an hour. In the recovery room, I was quite out of it from the anesthesia but at some point did feel some discomfort in the area of my penis, which had been fitted with a Foley catheter after the surgery. The nurse immediately deposited some morphine into my IV, which may have been overkill but I didn’t object. I was wheeled up to my hospital room around 4:00 pm and told I would be on a clear liquid diet. I wasn’t happy about that but understood the reason. For the next 18 hours, I lay in the hospital bed with large bags of sterile water being pumped into and out of my bladder through the catheter. The liquid coming out was initially dark pink and over the hours changed to lighter shades of pink indicating less blood (the prostate is a very vascular organ and bleeding is normal but must be carefully monitored). I slept on and off until early the next morning without pain. > > THE DAY AFTER SURGERY: , In the morning, I had enough energy that I wished I wasn’t in a hospital bed chained to an IV and catheter. Fortunately, my urologist called the hospital fairly early, around 8:00 am, and told the nurse I could switch to a normal diet, which meant coffee with cream, not to mention eggs and sausage. The doctor arrived himself around 10:00 am and said that I was going home today, either with or without the catheter. He said that in 20 percent of patients, the bladder isn’t ready to urinate on its own when the catheter is removed. If you aren’t able to pee on your own, the catheter is reinserted and the patient is given a “leg bag” to take home (which apparently will fit under jeans). Then the catheter is removed a few days later at the doctor’s office. The nurse came in and removed the catheter from my raw and inflamed urethra, which was two seconds of hell (but: two seconds). Still, I couldn’t imagine it going back in, so I quickly gulped down two cups of water and waited for the urge to go. The nurse helped me to the bathroom and waited outside. I immediately and joyfully urinated in a strong but thin stream of “pink lemonade” which felt like peeing razor blades. No matter. I knew I wasn’t going to have to have that catheter reinserted and I figured the pain of urination was a small price to pay for my freedom. Within an hour, I was discharged from the hospital and went home with two prescriptions, one for post-surgical antibiotics to help prevent infection, and the second for pain (Percocet). At home, I found myself having the urge to urinate frequently, and I must say for the next six hours or so, each 15 seconds or so of urinating was very painful. (I decided to forgo the Percocet and just take acetaminophen.) But remarkably, by midnight the pain subsided to a milder stinging sensation, and by morning I was alternately urinating pinkish to clear liquid with little to no pain. I was still a bit wiped out the anesthesia but delighted with the quick progress I’d made. > > THE DAY AFTER THAT. The next day I actually felt well enough to be driven down to South Beach by my spouse and have a long lunch in our favorite Sardinian restaurant. I was still urinating frequently, but no more so than before the surgery, and my urine stream was becoming so strong it felt like a firehose. That evening, I happily dumped my tamsulosin and dutasteride into the trash. No more prostate medications required. I urinated about four or five times that night, with very little discomfort. It seemed that the only thing that hadn’t improved was the frequency of urination. But my urologist had assured me that this would get better over time. And now I had the entire week off. Although I felt more or less fine, rest is recommended for a week after surgery to allow the prostate to heal and prevent any hemorrhaging from exertion. The doctor did tell me I’d be able to work out and play tennis within two weeks. After all the fears I had reading so many horror stories about this procedure, I was so happy and relieved that things went so well for me, and relatively painless other than a few brief hours. > > FIRST WEEK AFTER SURGERY. Surgery was one week ago today, and I’m feeling no pain. Literally. Until yesterday, I had some mild stinging/burning when urinating that lessened each day until, nada! There is still blood in the urine, but unlike the “pink lemonade” urine of the first day after surgery it is now a few drops of blood just at the beginning or end of urinating. I also believe some destroyed prostate tissue is in there from time to time, which can lead to a mild tingling sensation at the tip of the urethra but not really pain. I also experienced a few urgency symptoms that were not like any I previously had with BPH. In these cases, I wouldn’t feel an overwhelming sense of urgency other than that I had to go, but as I got close to the urinal or toilet, I could barely contain the flow of urine. Although I don’t think I had any accidents, I did buy some underwear liners that sop up drips. (Even a couple of drops of blood on underwear is unsightly, and this helps with that. I also have had to urinate very frequently, but no more so than before surgery. I have been urinating three or four times at night until last night, when I got up only twice (could be a fluke; time will tell). Otherwise, my urine stream is very strong, much better than I achieved taking both tamsulosin and dutasteride. Despite the discomfort in the hospital and the first eight hours after removal of the catheter when I urinated, I’ve very glad I had the procedure. > > SECOND WEEK AFTER SURGERY. On the eleventh day after surgery, I began bleeding more, usually at the very beginning of urination, and sometimes also a little at the end. Bright red blood, but no pain. I was initially alarmed but found some post-TURP guidelines online that said to expect this between 10 to 14 days after surgery and had to do with the prostate healing and scabbing. So bleeding, as long as it’s not excessive (which would indicate a hemorrhage and would require medical attention) is par for the course for several weeks. I have read that in some rare cases, the blood clots/scabbing can prevent block the flow of urine entirely, in which case you have to go to the emergency room and be catheterized. I have also read a lot of reports of bladder spasms, which sound awful but so far haven’t afflicted me. I still urinate three to four times a night, as I did before surgery. I’m not sure if that will change over time, but I’m used to it regardless. Meanwhile, the urine stream remains very strong, and the occasional urgency I had in the first week post-TURP has lessened. I also had ejaculated for the first time since surgery, and it was more pleasurable than it had been when I was on tamsulosin and dutasteride. > > ONE MONTH AFTER SURGERY. It’s been a month and this is my last entry. I still have some blood in my urine about 75 percent of the time but it’s not enough to worry about. The urgency to urinate is gone, the frequency of urination is much less than when I began taking medications for BPH, and the urine stream is that of a 30-year old. Also, with the help of a 5 milligram tablet melatonin before bed, I am now sleeping up to four hours a night without having to go to the bathroom. I have heard that this will only get better. I’m already a satisfied customer, and I’d do it again if I had to. Although I know from reading about it that some suffer from complications of one sort or another, the percentage is by all accounts small and I urge you to explore B-TURP or another option to relieve your BPH if it’s interfering with your quality of life. ---
**Author:** ![joeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@joeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joeby)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/23 "2017-04-29T17:06:03Z")
> [@CannyDan](#): > > I had mine in 2009. Pretty much as \*\*Markbnh1 \*\*describes it, went to surgery under general on Friday morning, came back to the world Saturday morning. Nurses removed the catheter shortly thereafter (the watchwords of my visit came to be “There will be some discomfort.” Yeah. Some discomfort is right. Not excruciating, but definitely ‘some’.) and told me I could go home once I’d peed enough to fill a 250 ml container, twice. Walked the halls and drank everything they would bring me, but managed to meet my goal in time to get home and watch the Belmont Stakes in my own living room. > > Peeing bright red was disconcerting to say the least, but after a few days I didn’t mind so much any more. And after several more days everything was normal. Now I have normal urinary function, no difficulty or urgency, and can go hours and hours without a bathroom break. my partner has been diagnosed with bph he’s thinking of having this procedure you’ve answered most of the questions we had but are there or have there been any negative sexual side effects? ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/24 "2017-04-30T02:54:22Z")
None. I was totally normal. Note though that this post is from 2013 and my TURP was in 2009. I remained normal but in 2014 my PSA began to rise. In 2015 a biopsy confirmed carcinoma. After considerable consultation on the options I had a radical prostatectomy via DaVinci robotic surgery. The good news was that the pathology report indicated all cancer was retained within the capsule and I’m still cancer free today. But this surgery was not without other unintended effects, and some sexual disfunction has unfortunately occurred. But that has nothing to do with the earlier TURP, which is highly unlikely to have any effects beyond the intended ones. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/25 "2017-04-30T23:52:22Z")
To add my recent experience, I had a classical TURP in late Feb. It went well. However, let me warn you, if you are prone to constipation, do not wait to take a strong laxative. I waited. I have never felt so bad, recent surgery, painful urination and constipation putting pressure on everything. I shudder at the memory. I had occasional pain for almost 2 months, the doctor said that was normal (on the high end of normal) but it would go away. Then one day he was right. I am pain free and much better at urinating. I even stopped my Flomax a few weeks after surgery. It was actually making things worse. One less pill in the evening! ---
**Author:** ![ken1955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/edb3f5/32.png) [@ken1955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ken1955)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/26 "2017-07-29T08:17:02Z")
I feel this is not right. Why should a man have his prostate destroyed just to pee better. To many men today are talked into Turp surgery giving very little explanation and told all will be the same. For every post that a man had a good out come with Turp I can give you 10 that hate it after it was done. When a man first has sex after ( That’s if he can ) He does not have a ejaculation he want to know why because he was told all would be the same. These man are so distraught that they give up on sex . Which can ruin there marriage and the Doctors think this is okay. Has anyone looked at the videos of Turp or Helop procedures. They are very disturbing. I know doctor are here to help us but why should we have a procedure to fix a problem that is going to cause us more problem. That is the way a doctor think. Will fix this problem and if something come up we will fix that one. To me this make no since. If you read up on all of the procedures they are all trying to do the same thing. Make a tunnel and relieve the bladder. Why have it cut out just pull it apart or shrink it. And why can we pick the way the procedure is done. It should be performed the way we want. We should be able to modified it. Just get rid of the extra tissue and lease the good tissue alone. ( What I mean my modified is take a procedure and only do the one side. stay away from the duct on the left of the prostate. ) The doctor does not have to deal with the side effects they just move on to the next patient. I read in a post that it is a small fee to give up his ejaculation to pee better. We should not have to choose one or the other. Sex and the ejaculation function is a way of life and so is going to the bathroom. But I would rather have sex and my ejaculation they go to the bathroom. It more fun… We are all different and we view life in different ways. You pick the way you want to live your life. Don’t let the doctor choose for you. There are many more procedure new ones that work great and they save the ejaculation function. Do you know that 9 out of the top 10 procedure for BPH cause retro ejaculation. And they destroy the prostate. I am on another site and there are many of us that have refused any procedure that cause retro. I am 62 and I enjoy sex bit there is no way I would like another man that it away from me. God gave me it for a reason and I am keeping it till the day I die. We need to start taking control of our body’s and not giving up. This is the way I feel and this is my opinion. Life is to short to give up on you and your enjoyment. I have been writing letter to many hospital on the procedure to try to better them for us men. We are not in the 1940 and we need to get rid of the barbaric procedure. There are to many new ones here to stay. I am so happy my urologist does not do Turp procedure anymore. They were yester years we are the future Take care and enjoy life to its fullest ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/27 "2017-07-29T15:30:04Z")
> [@ken1955](#): > > If you read up on all of the procedures they are all trying to do the same thing. Make a tunnel and relieve the bladder. Well, yes. Since the male urethra goes through the prostate, it makes sense to work with the body and maintain the “tunnel.” > [@](#): > > Why have it cut out just pull it apart How, exactly, do you envision this working? If you pulled the sides of the urethra apart, how would you keep them apart? That’s not how tissue works. > [@](#): > > or shrink it. There are medications that can shrink the prostate. They don’t provide complete relief for everyone. In that case, you’ll need surgery. > [@](#): > > And why can we pick the way the procedure is done. It should be performed the way we want. We should be able to modified it. You’re always free to decline a procedure or treatment that you don’t want l. The surgeon isn’t obligated to perform a specific procedure simply because it’s the one you want, though. If you want a specific procedure, it’s your job to find someone who will do it for you. > [@](#): > > Just get rid of the extra tissue and lease the good tissue alone. Did you read the OP? Do you understand how the TURP procedure works? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/28 "2017-07-29T17:58:49Z")
To update this thread: the use of TURP has been declining for years, to the point where most surgical options for treating benign prostatic hypertrophy involve some other modality - including heat-related therapy, laser ablation and [a whole raft of novel therapies](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287888217300016) which are termed “minimally invasive”, don’t need general/spinal anesthesia or overnight hospital stays, and may be less prone to significant complications. As for the comment made five years ago that “PSA is on the way out as a diagnostic measure”, it remains a mainstay of diagnosis in spite of its limitations, while [new biomarkers for prostate cancer](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4821699/) are gradually coming into use (although typically alongside of and not replacing PSA). [QUOTE=ken1955] God gave me it for a reason and I am keeping it till the day I die. [/QUOTE] Not sure if ken is referring to his sex life or to his prostate gland, but in terms of usefulness (especially for older gents), the prostate is not one of evolution’s greatest success stories. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/29 "2017-07-30T03:30:10Z")
This bump is timely, especially **Jackmannii** ’s mention of newer generations of minimally-invasive therapies. Just yesterday (literally, just yesterday) my cousin (about 15 years older than me) called to say he would not be able to have lunch with me because he has such trouble peeing now that he dares not leave his home. We discussed such therapies as tamsulosin and TURP. I will now mention to him that newer less-invasive therapies exist, which he can proceed to pick his urologist’s brain about. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/30 "2017-07-30T03:41:30Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > There’s just something cringe-inducing about the word “transurethral.” Although it’s not as cringe-inducing as the announcement of a new treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases using radium. I count at least four cringes (well, a cringe and three shudders). When Ronald Reagan had this done, Al Franken, who was then on SNL, described the procedure during “Weekend Update”. I can’t find it online, but he squirms around and says (paraphrased), “They (squirm) insert a scope (squirm) into the…PENIS…and (squirm) cut the prostate into sections (squirm) and remove it through the urethra…” :o My uncle had it done some years back, and he had to wear a catheter for 3 months. One may wonder why it’s usually done this way and not through a skin incision. It’s done this way because it’s simpler for the surgeon and the recovery is easier for the patient. A good analogy would be hysterectomy, which is performed vaginally unless it cannot be removed that way. ---
**Author:** ![AmyS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@AmyS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmyS)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/31 "2017-08-20T03:48:07Z")
I published four blog posts about my husband’s TURP, which was conducted in 2008 to try to eradicate prostatic cysts, and which ultimately failed to eradicate them. Anyone contemplating TURP is welcome to read about our experience here: [http://myafricanadventures.net/chapter-41-bad-news/](http://myafricanadventures.net/chapter-41-bad-news/) ---
**Author:** ![eepto0237](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6bbea6/32.png) [@eepto0237](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eepto0237)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/32 "2018-10-15T13:02:36Z")
I had TURP two months ago and it still is very painful to pee. Immediately after peeing I get the urge to go again with sharp pains in the tip of my penis. I’ve been to the ER 4 times, my urologist and my family Dr. who have all run strip tests for UTI. The strip test comes back positive but the cultures all come back negative. I’ve been on several antibiotics and anti fungul Floconazole. nothing seems to work. I’ve been on a 21 day course of Cefuroxime axtil 250mg twice a day for over two weeks and no relief. when I pee if I can sit down or lay down for 20 minutes or so I can get up and walk around without much pain, but if I have to pee and walk around like work the pain never goes away and there is a lingering urge to pee with sharp shooting pain in the tip. the urologist had an xray of my spine done and there is a problem with L 1,2 and 3 , so she’s convinced the pain is caused by my spine since, “all the nerves are connected”. I spoke to an orhtopedic surgeon who said this was not the case. Other doctors have suggested that this is normal and all part of the TURP healing process and it could take months for the pain to go away. Please, Help me out here. It seems like the Dr’s don’t know what’s going on and are now guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/33 "2018-10-15T16:32:54Z")
Welcome, **eeto0237**. I’m not a real doctor, have no advice for you but do hope you hang around a while. I was just noticing that 9 of the 32 posts in this thread were first timers and so far 8 have been "one and done’. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![mitey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mitey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mitey)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/34 "2019-01-12T15:45:39Z")
I had a TURP about 9 years ago, had to it had gotten to the point where II could not pee at ALL. Had to drive 30 miles to Urology where they took 1,200 cc’s out with catheter. To shorten story up, 6 months later I had another, (Green Light lazer TURP this time). Bottom line is that whereas 99% of the men pretty much return to normal in a month or 6 weeks I never have! I believe a nerve (or two), were ‘scraped’ or something for every time I pee I still have pain that feels like I have a UTI. However, I’ve had a couple of UTI’s aver the TURP and have had them ‘taken care of’. At this point it is NOT a UTI but feels like it. I have changed Urologists, (the second one did the Lazer turp), we have done everything he knows to do, ( CAT scan, etc.) to find out WHY this stupid pain occurs, to no avail. I am now in physical therapy thinking that it is a problem with the pelvic floor, but that doesn’t seem to be doing much if anything. NOW I’m going to lay one on you that you’ve probably never heard before. When ever I pee OR when ever I hear water running I get this same UTI type pain. I GET THIS PAIN AS I’M FILLING MY TRUCK WITH GAS, (FROM THE SOUND OF THE LIQUID). Yes, it’s a mental thing, and I know it BUT nobody can seem to ‘fix’ it. I’m now thinking of going to acupuncture! The pain is not terribly intense, but it’s not a pleasure either. I’m only posting this hoping that perhaps someone else has had a similar experience and I might learn something from them. > [@eepto0237](#): > > I had TURP two months ago and it still is very painful to pee. Immediately after peeing I get the urge to go again with sharp pains in the tip of my penis. I’ve been to the ER 4 times, my urologist and my family Dr. who have all run strip tests for UTI. The strip test comes back positive but the cultures all come back negative. I’ve been on several antibiotics and anti fungul Floconazole. nothing seems to work. I’ve been on a 21 day course of Cefuroxime axtil 250mg twice a day for over two weeks and no relief. when I pee if I can sit down or lay down for 20 minutes or so I can get up and walk around without much pain, but if I have to pee and walk around like work the pain never goes away and there is a lingering urge to pee with sharp shooting pain in the tip. the urologist had an xray of my spine done and there is a problem with L 1,2 and 3 , so she’s convinced the pain is caused by my spine since, “all the nerves are connected”. I spoke to an orhtopedic surgeon who said this was not the case. Other doctors have suggested that this is normal and all part of the TURP healing process and it could take months for the pain to go away. Please, Help me out here. It seems like the Dr’s don’t know what’s going on and are now guessing. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/35 "2019-01-13T23:42:50Z")
I reported my experiences back in Post 18 An update: January 2019 My symptoms gradually came back, over the last 10 years or so. My doc gave me Flomax 0.4mg daily, then a few years later added Proscar 5mg daily. Recently, I saw a urologist, who increased my Flomax to 0.4mg ,twice daily, while continuing the Proscar. That was a few days ago, and I don’t have any changes to report yet. ---
**Author:** ![schapman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@schapman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schapman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/36 "2022-04-11T00:59:16Z")
If you value shooting a load and actually ejaculating upon climax DO NO UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE allow your urologist to perform this surgery. There ARE alternatives to TURP, and f your urologist doesn’t mention this, GET ANOTHER UROLOGIST. I live in NYC, and went to [name of doctor redacted], who is supposedly one of the city’s top urologists. He NEVER mentioned anything about what I now know to be called “retrograde ejaculation”, so now, when I “cum”, NOTHING COMES OUT of my penis. Fun, right? I am now a fucking eunuch because of this asshole, so DON’T GO TO HIM, or to any other urologist who tells you this is the only option for BPH, because IT IS NOT. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/37 "2022-04-12T13:59:14Z")
Welcome to the straight dope, @schapman . We don’t usually allow comments on named private individuals, so I’ve redacted the name of the doctor you went to. But I wish you the best with your medical issues. Hopefully someone with relevant experience will drop by and offer advice or at least some commiseration. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/38 "2022-04-13T02:10:52Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > We don’t usually allow comments on named private individuals And anyway, it was 10 years ago that the OP either did or didn’t take his prostate to [name of doctor redacted], so one way other the other it’s a bit late to do anything about it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/39 "2022-04-13T03:09:38Z")
I didn’t redact the op, but the post made two days ago. 🤷‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931/40 "2022-04-13T14:04:39Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > And anyway, it was 10 years ago that the OP either did or didn’t take his prostate to [name of doctor redacted], so one way other the other it’s a bit late to do anything about it 🙂 C’mon, you can’t leave us hanging, so to speak. We’ve been waiting over ten years to hear about this. Did you or didn’t you? And I hope you didn’t use **schapman’s** doctor! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-with-turp-surgery-experience/613931.md?page=3)