Aquablation: Post-surgery expectations

What was your night time frequency going to pee at night before the procedure?
Please keep records going forward so we can see what progress you make.
I don’t know if you experienced retrograde ejaculation taking Flowmax but I did.
Urologist said it was to be expected but you should still have the climax as before. Sorry doc, it was NOT the same experience.

I had my Aquablation surgery one week ago. The procedure went well and after an overnight hospital stay (not restful!) I had catheter removed and was sent home. Since then, my recovery has been just what I was told to expect: peeing about half speed and half volume every 90 minutes or so; stinging in penis especially at start of stream; and a small amount of blood in urine (pinkish) which comes and goes. Oh, and there was some brain fog for 3 days which was probably the result of anesthesia. All in all, some discomfort but not too bad overall.
Anyway, here are my questions:
Why are we aquablation patients still pushing out blood after a week? I mean, they cauterized bleeders during surgery, then flushed out the area thoroughly at hospital. Why would it keep bleeding? Most body wounds clot and mend within a couple days. What causes the prostate site to keep oozing for so long (at least several weeks, they say)? And why is urine fairly clear for a day or two but the bloodier the next day.
And why does the strength of urine stream fluctuate from day to day. Once it has opened up, why would it close down.
I understand that the symptoms are caused by irritation in the surgical site, but it seems to me the course of healing should be more consistent.
It’s the inconsistency of the recovery process that frustrates me.
Any thoughts on this?

Those are good questions.
I am about 3 months post aquablation, and although improving gradually, it is not as quick as I was told, and inconsistent. Flow is up and down in quantity and force. I find myself often sitting on the toilet instead of standing, because the urine often sprays in random directions. I'm guessing I may have a stricture, or something similar. I'll find out when I see the doctor in early October.
I have recently begun to wean myself off of diapers.
All in all, even after these many months, I'm not entirely certain my situation is appreciably better than I was prior to surgery.

Your situation sounds simiiar to mine. I had Aquablation on May 1 of this year and was doing fine for a month. Than in early June my stream went to a trickle and would spray everywhere. Turns out I had a stricture at the tip of my penis. Had a Dilation (quick painless procedure) and I am doing fine now. I have to self-dilate every day or so by sticking a Dilator into the tip of my Penis to keep things clear.

Here are my recovery points at 5 weeks:
Stream remains weak, as before the surgery.
Frequency is also same as before.
Still pain on the tip when urinating.
Still taking flowmax, as advised by urologist.
Getting back to normal activities, but no exercise just yet. I will wait 5 more weeks.

Improvements:
I do not have to wait to start to urinate. It starts fairly quickly.
I do not have a feeling of bladder still full after urination.
There has been no blood in urine after first week of surgery.

Dr has advised me to be patient, wait for 8 weeks for significant recovery.

At 5 weeks, frequency going to pee remains the same at night and day. Urine flow is also still weak. Dr has asked me to continue to take flowmax. The only improvement i have is that I do not have to wait to start to pee, it starts right away, but weak stream. Dr has asked me to wait till after 8 weeks before improvements. I will post updates here.

@pinto25ji - I think your experiences post aquablation are not so unusual based on that I experienced and what I read. First of all - five weeks post is still a very short time in terms of medical recovery. I had my aquablation 6+ months ago and I believe I am still "adjusting" plus I still experience small changes (mostly positive changes) even now.

I still get out of bed (three times or so?) more than I wished and, I believe, more than I actually need to. I think the nighttime "need to pee" sensation is a leftover artifact of all those years of actually needing to get up numerous times. I know I can go eight hours (or more) without urination as I do so during the day, regularly. So I suspect I will need to put some effort into retraining the "urge to pee" portion of my brain.

Best wishes for a continued positive recovery.

I am now 5 months post aquablation procedure and just had my latest checkup. Two positive signs: (1) urine flow is much improved from pre-surgery days and I find little to no stopping and starting while at the toilet. (2) According to the latest test, I am almost emptying my bladder completely when peeing, where before I was not even close to doing so. I am still getting up 1-2 times a night, but it could be due to (@) force of habit and being a light sleeper, and/or (b) I am a lifelong kidney stone sufferer, which means I have to drink more fluids than the average person.

Choosing aquablation for me, as my doctor said, was a quality of life issue rather than a medical emergency. All in all, I am glad that I had the procedure and am hoping for even more improvement over time.

I am writing for my husband. After 10 years of struggling to urinate, frequency, up at nite 6 to 7 times, meds, UTI’s, hesitancy and interference with ADL’s, we researched all potential fixes. We decided to go with Aquablation. His size was 85 cc, and he is a very healthy, active (walks and lifts weights) 71 year old. On Aug. 2, at Soin Medical Center, Dayton OH, per his urologist, Dr. David Hadley, he had the surgery. There was a total of 2 passes made, and he was in the RR after appx. 1 hour. Spent the night with CBI for irrigation, and discharged the next morning with his Foley catheter in place. I am a nurse, and have kept meticulous records for the last 3 weeks, and will share.
The catheter remained intact over the weekend, draining pink to occasionally red. When it became red, I increased his po intake of water till clear. Monday morn at 830 I removed his catheter, per his words, WOW, it burned but only lasted a moment. There were a few clots on the distal end of the catheter. 45 minutes later, he urinated with only slight burning. He felt his stream was strong get even 3 days post op. We saw our doc in his office at noon, and he had a post void residual per bladder scanner of only 19 ml (less than tsp). The next 3 weeks, he restricted lifting to only 10 lbs or less, no weight lifting, no mowing, and frequent resting . The color would ebb and flow from pale pink to clear straw color, he adjusted his water intake accordingly. He reports flow is fabulous, the urgency is gone, and we time it and he can wait 3 to 4 hours between urination. No hesitancy, no pain (never took anything for pain, he had none). He is thrilled with the results, a new man. And I must add that our sex life is better than ever, no problems or concerns there. He just wishes he had not waited so long, and said he would do it again in a heartbeat!

@whimpy2024 - I loved reading the nurse's note on your husband's aquablation experiences. Precise, complete, and all information provided was relevant.

I can share I had literally the identical journey and post-op experience with my aquablation which was in Feb 2024. Sounds like your husband is on the right track!

Congratulations to you both.