1. < Men's Health
Mentor

Aquablation: Post-surgery expectations

Posted by Phil, Volunteer Mentor @upstatephil, Jan 26 8:05am

After decades of pills to (partially) manage BPH, I am scheduled for aquablation at Mayo JAX in mid-Feb. Has anyone had that procedure done? What was post-surgery like? What were your experiences regarding regular vs. retrograde ejaculation?

My expectations are high. My general health is good+ (71 yo), my prostate is enlarged but not massive, my PSA's suggest no cancer concerns. The surgeon expects a low-risk procedure (no incisions I believe) and a quick recovery (unless something unexpected pops up). I appreciate it's impossible to predict surgical outcomes with certainty - I would like to hear of others' experiences to help set my expectations.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Men's Health Support Group.

glenner075 | @glenner075 | Mar 17 4:53pm
In reply to @upstatephil "@glenner075. Three times? Four? Sometimes five...Now once is about right. A few times - zero. Stream..." + (show)
@upstatephil

@glenner075. Three times? Four? Sometimes five...Now once is about right. A few times - zero. Stream is much stronger. Everything about using the bathroom is better. I have experienced no downside at five weeks...

Jump to this post

Yes, once is ideal! I’d settle for two! Thanks, Glenn

REPLY
clark1949 | @clark1949 | Mar 18 7:43am
In reply to @glenner075 "Yes, Nice to hear of your wonderful progress. I expect my Urologist will soon recommend the..." + (show)
@glenner075

Yes, Nice to hear of your wonderful progress. I expect my Urologist will soon recommend the same procedure! Please answer one question…….How many times per night did you awaken for relief before your surgery? I am at four! Thanks, Glenn

Jump to this post

On average two to three times per night. On vacation and depending on what beverages I consumed up to 4 to five times per night.

REPLY
av8r6 | @av8r6 | Mar 18 12:31pm
In reply to @fredunger "No surgery to recover from. Making the prostate shrink instead of a roto rooter surgery was..." + (show)
@fredunger

No surgery to recover from. Making the prostate shrink instead of a roto rooter surgery was an easy choice for me. Urologists don't suggest this since it competes with their surgery. You need to go the physicians that do stents.

Jump to this post

Fred,

Did you have this done at Mayo Clinic? If not, where and by which doctor?

Thanks,
Paul

REPLY
1 reply
clark1949 | @clark1949 | Mar 20 10:22am
In reply to @av8r6 "Fred, Did you have this done at Mayo Clinic? If not, where and by which doctor?..." + (show)
@av8r6

Fred,

Did you have this done at Mayo Clinic? If not, where and by which doctor?

Thanks,
Paul

Jump to this post

My recommendation would be to find a Urologist in your local area that is familiar with the Aquablation procedure.

REPLY
1 reply
av8r6 | @av8r6 | Mar 20 12:49pm
In reply to @clark1949 "My recommendation would be to find a Urologist in your local area that is familiar with..." + (show)
@clark1949

My recommendation would be to find a Urologist in your local area that is familiar with the Aquablation procedure.

Jump to this post

Thanks for your recommendation, but I was asking Fred about his PAE experience, not Aquablation.

REPLY
clark1949 | @clark1949 | Mar 21 7:43am

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with PAE.

REPLY
pinguin846 | @pinguin846 | Mar 30 3:42pm

I had aquablation done at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA on 3/20/2024. So far, so good. The procedure itself was uneventful, and I woke up in the hospital without a hint of pain. So far my only hiccup has been that I wasn't able to empty my bladder sufficiently in the hospital so they reinserted a Foley catheter, which I had for four days. Removing the catheter was really only a few seconds of discomfort. I was told to beware of sudden frequent urges to urinate, so I had pads on hand. I've used them once.

I stayed home for a day and a half after the catheter was removed, then went back to the office. It's now been ten days, and I feel perfectly fine. The only remaining obstacle that I can tell is that I still have some blood in the urine and it can be a bit painful to pee. I feel like I could go back to the gym and go back to having sex right now, but will give it another week. (My doctor said 10-14 days). My urine flow seems to be better, but still getting up several times a night and am peeing as frequently as before. I'll report back after a month to give a progress report.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Phil, Volunteer Mentor | @upstatephil | Mar 31 8:15am
In reply to @pinguin846 "I had aquablation done at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA on 3/20/2024. So far, so..." + (show)
@pinguin846

I had aquablation done at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA on 3/20/2024. So far, so good. The procedure itself was uneventful, and I woke up in the hospital without a hint of pain. So far my only hiccup has been that I wasn't able to empty my bladder sufficiently in the hospital so they reinserted a Foley catheter, which I had for four days. Removing the catheter was really only a few seconds of discomfort. I was told to beware of sudden frequent urges to urinate, so I had pads on hand. I've used them once.

I stayed home for a day and a half after the catheter was removed, then went back to the office. It's now been ten days, and I feel perfectly fine. The only remaining obstacle that I can tell is that I still have some blood in the urine and it can be a bit painful to pee. I feel like I could go back to the gym and go back to having sex right now, but will give it another week. (My doctor said 10-14 days). My urine flow seems to be better, but still getting up several times a night and am peeing as frequently as before. I'll report back after a month to give a progress report.

Jump to this post

@pinguin846 - Sounds like you're doing great! It took me a month or so before I never saw any blood in the urine, especially at the initiation of flow, but that has almost totally stopped (six weeks post) and every other thing I expected to be different has come true: once or twice a night, much more rapid peeing, no discomfort, and sex is great even with a little "twinge" of discomfort. I'll take all that.

Let us know how things are on May 1st...

REPLY
1 reply
pinguin846 | @pinguin846 | Mar 31 3:43pm
In reply to @upstatephil "UPDATE: I am exactly two weeks post-aquablation. Two more weeks of activity restrictions to endure. Otherwise..." + (show)
@upstatephil

UPDATE: I am exactly two weeks post-aquablation. Two more weeks of activity restrictions to endure. Otherwise - I feel great and better than my expectations. No pain. Rare small episodes of blood in my urine. The urge to go is very reduced. Flow is easy to start and is strong. When done, I am really done w/o any quick need to return to the bathroom. I wake up much less often. I am excited for the ultimate results.

Jump to this post

It's interesting the variances in the time frames doctors are recommending for restrictions on exercises and sex. I know other doctors have said a month to up to six weeks; my doctor told me 10-14 days. I'm at day 11 now and feel perfectly capable of lifting weights but will give it another week just to be safe. FWIW, I'm 64 and in very good physical shape, so perhaps I'm healing more quickly than average. In any case, I'll take it!

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.