Optilume balloon therapy for BPH

I had the Optilume BPH procedure exactly one month ago today and so far not happy and worried. Still bleeding with almost every urination but most concerning I am leaking all the time. I never had a problem with any form of incontinence and now I’m leaking when I stand up or go walking and when I really have to go I feel some urine leaking out. Also have had a few major leaks while sleeping. No one one ever mentioned this as a possible risk. I am 62 and in very good shape. I’m really worried this is going to be permanent.

@jj195, I can imagine that you are not happy about the side effect of incontinence. Have you talked to are care team about it?

Have you considered getting a referral to a specialized PT who works on Kegel exercises and other strategies for incontinence?

@dvsilcox222 I had the Optilume BPH early March the recovery clearly takes lingering than two weeks, that is just BS marketing. Expect way more blood than advertised. Have pads to put under you while the catheter is in as blood leaks out. After the catheter is out you will leak blood so have pads for your underwear. Also do not be surprised if you wind up with stress incontinence

I am very healthy and fit 72 year old. I had the Optilume bph proceedure 10 weeks ago in mid May. It has been hell for me from the start. First problem was that the catheter blocked the evening of the proceedure. They sent me off with a bottle of sterile water and a large syringe and told me to flush it if it blocked. I was able to clear it buy pushing that syinge as mightily as possible. The next three days with the catheter were highlighted by spasms of pain every 30 minutes or so. After catheter removal things did not get better. Urgency and frequency were much worse than before, stream was weak at best and drbbling most of the time, mostly bloody and clots. When I contacted the doctor's ofice they told me recovery could take up to three months. That was new information not revealed prior to the proceedure. Ten days ago I had a late night trip to Emergency to be catheterized again for acute urinary retention. The brownish mess they draind was revolting and I was put on Ceflex. The urine capured in th bag was a combination of urind blood and clots and the next day the tube blocked with clots and back to Emergency to pull and replace the catheter. Next day, urinary retention back to emergency this time a raging infection. Urination is now 30 times a night exremely painful and yields 10 to 25 ml.
If it's not obvious, no, I am not happy that I chose to undergo Optilume BPH procedure. By every metric I am much worse off than before including the fact that I have needed to wear pads since the procedure.

I am a 76 year old male. I've had 3 PAES. One in 2014 another one in 2017 and another one in 2023. That is how long they lasted. My prostate I went from 160 to 138 On the last PAE. It was done by Dr Bagula in northern Virginia. He is the one that's done the most in the country. The last one didn't Reduce it enough . And I still have problems urinating. He said he would do it again but there was about a 20% chance it may work. He suggested an aquablation,
I had them done then because there was nothing else At that time to have but a turp which I didn't want. So it gave me 10 years to the next best thing came out being the aqua. So I can talk as a person who's been through the trenches From three paees to the aquabilation. The after effects for the PAE were just burning urination for three days and that was it. I had my aqua ablation 10 weeks ago. I'm able to urinate with no problem but I have frequency urgency and burning every time I pee.
Up 4 and five times a night. Two weeks after my Paes I was getting up between one and 2x a night I've had For weak ejaculations Out of 25 orgasms.
My dr keeps telling me it can take up to 6 months for this to go away hopefully it will. I was on Flomax and proscar for two months before the aqua surgery because of difficulty in urination.
That gave me reverse ejaculations. The orgasms were just as strong. I felt like I was ejaculating but I didn't. The drugs had horrible side effects and I was taken off them immediately after the aqua surgery. So I'm glad I did the PAES I wish the last one didn't fail. I hope the aqua problems will cure themselves in the next few months as my doctor said. But the PAE was only a week at the most of burning. So I would take a pae any day Before an aqua. So anyone who has any questions about Paes just let me know