TURBT recovery time

I just had the polyps removed. Looked like a garden but drove home after the procedure and the burning lasted a 1 1/2 months but overall not that bad. I'm sure there are different outcomes so need to hear from some others.

The recovery time from the initial TURBT wouldn't really be long if it wasn't for the 'joyful' experience of the catheter remaining in for up to a week, which I assume is close to SOP. That is the one thing that keeps you down and out. Since I'm a side sleeper, I had to switch sides of the bed in the middle of the night as the large bag was hanging on the bed railing below. Just view the inconvenience as the price to pay for successful treatment.

It took quite a while for me to get back to normal. Frequent strong urges to urinate were persistent, along with fatigue. Your body is trying to recover from the trauma. If you have to have a Folly bag around that’s a hassle, but you can get rid of it in 3-5 days. You need to stay close to the bathroom for quite a while. Good luck!

Okay, 73 y/o male here. Had 3 TURBTs. First at a local hospital and no catheter. That hurt and burned for about a week. Second and third TURBT were done at Mayo. Both had a catheter. First one I kept in for 4 days. Second one I kept in for 3 days. Catheters may have a little discomfort but nothing like the pain on the first one done locally. For both Mayo catheters I was able to remove it at home following instructions. My urine bag was always filling, but it saved the pain of urine passing through the penis. Embrace the catheter if you don’t want pain when you pass urine. There are jobs you can do while wearing a catheter with a leg band, but I don’t recommend it. After I removed the catheter I took it easy for 2-3 more days. I wish you only the best for your future.

Thank you

Hello @nicb. My husband had multiple turbts at Mayo Clinic Rochester. He was close to your age then. Each time he went home with a catheter for a week. They are uncomfortable for our 10 hour drive home and sleeping at night is restrictive. He was always glad to have it removed. He managed very well with a leg bag during the day and a larger overnight bag to hang at the bedside. Antibiotic ointment and lidocaine gel kept the irritation at the end of penis down. He did return to office job within the week, even with catheter but just brief visits.
7 years since diagnosis and he is cancer free after a radical cystectomy and neobladder surgery. He just got tired of repeated procedures, constant recurrences, and his tumor was muscle invasive and highly aggressive. Life is better now although the new normal includes self cathing 3-4 times a day.

Hi nicb. I'm a 71-year-old male, have had multiple TURBTs since 2023, and found the recovery usually takes me about three days to a week to be fully up and running again (I'm still working full time). The big issue is the catheter. I only had bladder spasms from a catheter once, after the most recent TURBT, and they are quite painful. There are meds to help prevent the spasms, but I've had limited success using them. Best of luck to you.