BPH + Recurring infections. Will HoLEP end the recurrence?

My dad is 79 years old he started with urine retention and place with catheter for only 2 years with multiple bacterial UTI required ER. Six weeks ago he had HoLep procedure. Knocking on wood, he doing better in fact. He has his check up next week. He back to normal he says "He feels great." sp

Thanks very much for the reply heysp22

Do you know the frequency of his infections prior to the procedure? I would very much appreciate any follow-ups. I'm scheduled for the end of Dec. and the thought of not having to self cath is heartening; but my real concern is never having a UTI again 🙂

He would go to the urologist about every 3 weeks to get it changed because he is UTIs were so bad the antibiotics had to be used. At first, He was hesitant but then once more information about it and felt comfortable with this decision for my father

Yes he was getting Bacteria UTI every weeks. The infection would make him feel that he had to urinate. As if his bladder was full then a foul smell would start. At that time he would have me call the doctor s for an antibiotic. They would request him to come in to do a urine culture with sensitivity to see what antibiotic to give him. Every 3 weeks we were in the doctor's office. There's only been six times he had to go to the emergency room to get the indwell catheter out and put a new one in. At that time, the PA realized he was having bladder stones. Confirmed by ultrasound. At the time we did not realize he had multiple stones in his bladder right above the urethra without no pain. This went on for a year and a half. Because he had multiple problems diagnosed it made it difficult to actually to diagnose of cause. Since he's had the HoLEP procedure. He's getting control of his life with the ability to go control his urine. Personally myself I wish the doctor the first urologist. Place the referral and not wait on this so long to refer to for this procedure. Good luck sp

I have had a foley catheter for 11 months. The first few months I had UTI until I found a doctor who game me a prescription for AMOXJK CLAV 500. Take it once a day every day. She also suggested I go to Amazon and order VISBIOME probiotic, it comes packed in ice packs to keep it cold. Not cheap. But I take the probiotic at noon and the antibiotic at midnight. Also I have the foley catheter changed monthly. No UTIs in 6 months.

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.

Try Sweet wormwood, a kind of natural antibiotic. Buy the liquid drops. Don't buy plain wormwood, that is different product and hard on liver. Sweet wormwood liquid, take about two months, about as effective as antibiotic for the most part. There are some sweet wormwood sold that include other stuff, I can't speak for those.

I was diagnosed with BPH in my 40s, put on Flomax and Avodart. Got some relief for about 10 years. Then started with surgeries. Two PVP/Green Light lasers, one Rezum and continued to get prostatitis/infections. Had HOLEP in January of 2024 and have been infection free since then. Hopefully this will continue.

61 here. I started getting prostate infections in my 40s. When cultured, they usually ended up being some relatively exotic bacteria that antibiotics would treat momentarily before a new infection arrived. After I got COVID the first time in 2020, the infection just hung around no matter what I did. I had HOLEP 15 months ago, when they removed over a hundred stones from my prostate. (My surgeon, who has been doing this for 30 years, had never seen that before.) Zero infections since then.

So did you have the 2 PVP-lasers first, how far apart time-wise? And then tried the Rezum after that? I had the Rezum 2 years ago and did next to nothing to help me. Should I consider another Rezum, or go right to the HOLEP?