RECOVERY AFTER PROSTATE SURGERY: What to Expect after a TURP for Enlarged Prostate

I put this video together to share with my patients what to expect in terms of recovery following their transurethral resection of prostate procedure for BPH or enlarged prostate. The exact POST OP TURP instructions that I give here may be very different from what your specific surgeon will do and how he manages the recovery after TURP surgery. However, I wanted to share just so that guys might have some picture of what the recovery period will look like.

Here are the highlights:

You will be sent home from the hospital with a catheter. Clean around the tip of the penis daily with a warm washcloth and soap and drain the bag when full as your nurse has instructed you.

It is normal to see blood in the urine for a few weeks after a TURP surgery. If the urine looks like thick red (ketchup) rather than clear red or pink (like cranberry juice) then please let me know

After a TURP surgery it is common to have some burning with urination, increased frequency of needing to urinate, and feeling that you have to get to the bathroom urgently. This is usually just from the irritation of surgery and may last a week or two.

DIET: No special diet is required. Drink more liquids to keep the urine dilute and flushing the bladder to prevent clots. Adding fiber or over the counter laxative like MIRALAX or metamucil can be helpful to keep from getting constipated.

ACTIVITY: No lifting above 10 pounds, strenuous physical activity (greater than gentle level walking) or sexual activity for two weeks, or until urine is clear yellow for several days in a row. The more straining that you do, the longer the bleeding and the recovery will take. Showering and bathing are ok, even with the catheter in place

MEDICATIONS: You can resume your previous medications. If you were on prostate medications, you can stop taking them (tamsulosin, flomax, finasteride, avodart, rapaflo, terazosin, doxazosin).

BLOOD THINNERS: If you are normally on blood thinners (warfarin, coumadin, plavix pradaxa) continue to hold these and do not take them until your followup visit when Dr. Chan will tell you when to restart them. Aspirin is ok. When you restart these medications, it is common to have blood in the urine

PRESCRIPTIONS: You will have been called in an antibiotic and pain medication to your local pharmacy. Take the antibiotic until it is gone and use the pain medication only as needed

FOLLOWUP VISIT: We will likely have scheduled you for a postoperative visit already when we set up your surgery. If you don't have a visit scheduled, please schedule one for 4 days after your surgery.

PROBLEMS: Call to report a fever above 100.4, feeling that you cannot urinate, heavy bleeding, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

Disclaimer: This video is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice. Information obtained from this video should not be taken in lieu of your own medical provider's advice and treatment plan. Please consult directly with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any diagnosis or treatment plan options. Content provided on this Youtube channel is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. The statements made about specific products throughout this video are not to diagnose , treat, cure or prevent disease.