BPH + Recurring infections. Will HoLEP end the recurrence?

Just found this post and trust you have had your Holep surgery and all is well. I thought I would provide you with my experience which might be of help. I'm also 77 and had been suffering with BPH long before I knew I had BPH. Going back to my thirties, the frequency of my urination was a joke among my friends. In my forties (when annual physical exams started) was the first time I was aware of infections relating to my prostate. After the physical exam, I was always called back to take antibiotics to measure before and after PSA (always went down). At fifty, during my first colonoscopy there was concerns over the size of my prostate and I was sent to a urologist. Urologist had same concerns on size, along with a PSA of 7. I was sent for biopsies and 19 biopsies later, no cancer. Went on Flomax for 15 years. During the 15 year period on Flomax went to the urologist every 6 months. Was diagnosed with chronic prostatitis and took antibiotics when needed. At times when my infection of the prostate was severe, would have major back pains.

This went on to long and something had to be done. I was now holding to much urine and had to start self cathing. My prostrate was right at 200, PSA was 11, sore stomach to touch, and chronic prostatitis. I had researched my various options and found that (like a car dealer) each urologist had there own procedure which they recommended. I chose Holep and glad I did. Holep went great, with results after surgery as follows: stream like in my teens, sleep through the night, stomach not sore to touch, PSA below 1, no longer taking pills for prostate, and chronic prostatitis symptoms gone.

Today 4 years later, all above benefits the same except the following: PSA is now above 4 and I fell that my Chronic Prostatitis may have returned. Doctor will be having me do an MRI and I trust I will be taking (for the first time in 4 years) antibiotics.

Hope this may be of help and I will advise on the rise in PSA . My guess is the chronic prostatitis was greatly reduced (not eliminated) with Holep, but prostatitis is larger now with the regrowth of my prostrate.

Yes, I had 2 PVP lasers. The second one was a couple of years after the first, at least partly due to a stricture from the first. The second one lasted about 10 years and I thought the Rezum would be easier to have done and less likely to cause a stricture. It was rather painful and took a solid month to tell any difference and then not as much as the PVP produced. Within 5 years I was in need of more surgery and elected HOLEP. My thinking was that this procedure would remove the most tissue and last longer than PVP.