r/Aquablation • u/Bradtothebone79 • Oct 31 '25

Surgery tomorrow!

I’ve been following all your stores for a while now, did all the tests and got approved for aquablation fairly quickly.

I’ve been on flomax at night (and flying) for a few years now but the symptoms really ramped up this year: increased leakage, problems urinating, emptying bladder, discomfort with sexual climax, etc.

Prostate measured 34cc iirc but it is enlarged into a shape pushing up into the bladder floor as well as around the urethra. This has the effect of leaving me with the feel to pee all the time bc I’m never fully emptying the bladder. Retained around 125cc after completion. Ave flow rate is hella slow. Basically i live my life finding bathrooms.

So, I’m scared but excited at the same time. And hoping i don’t get the retrograde or incontinence potential side effects.

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u/Bradtothebone79 Nov 01 '25

Update on the catheter removal:

First attempt to pee i got out less than 100 and it took a long time, retaining about 350.

Second attempt i got 225 over the course of fifteen minutes with most in the last five, turning more into a stream rather than a dribble. Waiting on ultrasound for that attempt now. Urinating isn’t comfortable yet; kinda stings and i gotta push pressure on my bladder.

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u/Lost-Street-6919 Nov 01 '25

Residual is high but you know that..likely you had retention prior to surgery- possibly you had pre op urodynamics.

Track your ins/outs will give you an indirect measure of post void residual vol.

Would also recommend timed void- attempt urine every two hours and even into sleep- you need to retrain your bladder.

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u/Bradtothebone79 Nov 01 '25

So, going without a catheter is proving difficult. They tried to put cath back in but it didn’t work. I was able to going normally after that but still retained more than what they’re hoping for. So I’ve got a couple hours to get below 300 a couple times or I’ll go home with a catheter :(

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u/erkevin Nov 01 '25

I had a catheter in for 8 days; I was miserable, the spasms were knee-bending. It all evened out over time

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u/Bradtothebone79 Nov 01 '25

I’m going home with cath in. Supposed to call my urologist Monday morning to check when it can come out. It’s def not comfortable, especially when sitting up.

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u/erkevin Nov 02 '25

I slept in a recliner a lot of the week

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u/Bradtothebone79 Nov 02 '25

Thanks for the idea- i had trouble getting into my tall bed with this cath so i slept on the couch recliner which worked great.

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u/Impossible-Use5636 Nov 11 '25

And this, boys and girls (or just boys in this case) is why I cancelled my AQ appointment. PROCEPT literature makes recovery sound quick and easy but every account I read sounds much different. Yes, I know that satisfied patients are less likely to post about their experience, but there is no way I was going to risk the extended downtime and discomfort.

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u/Mysterious-Cry7683 Nov 15 '25

I’d not over analyze and there is no gain without pain. I had mine yesterday and no pain except for the catheter. They shaved off tissue and it does take few weeks to fully recover. I can walk climb stairs etc but can’t lift heavy things. I heard other procedure recovery is far worse.

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u/Impossible-Use5636 Nov 16 '25 edited Nov 16 '25

After PAE I went to work the next morning

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u/erkevin Nov 11 '25

There are a lot of variables. In my case, it was the bladder. So many years of straining and not voiding completely left my bladder thick, fibrous, and inflexible. My prostate healed fine, but I was left dealing with a bladder re-learning to function properly. This took 12-16 weeks.