re: Any OTers had surgery for an enlarged prostate?

I can't take Flomax, what are some other meds for BPH? I read that .5mg of Cialis is commonly prescribed, anything else?

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Man the OT is aging.

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Yeah and this is another thing you youngsters won't be able to dodge with the correct diet and five days in the gym.

I had two neighbors that had TURP. One had a serious infection and had to wear a catheter. The other had an infection that lead to a heart attack and he nearly died. Both are fine now.

No thank you.

Mine was large and eventually I had to do something. After a lot of research I opted for a PAE (Prostatic Artery Embolization), a minimally invasive procedure used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that often causes urinary problems in men as they age.

I’m 4 months out and things are greatly improving. AND..everything still works!! You need to find an interventional radiologist that can do it.

A summary from CoPilot.
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Why PAE Is Good for Prostate Issues

Minimally Invasive

• Performed through a small catheter inserted into the arteries that supply the prostate.
• No surgical incision, so recovery is faster and less painful compared to traditional surgery (like TURP).


Effective Symptom Relief

• Shrinks the prostate by reducing blood flow, which eases pressure on the urethra.
• Improves urinary flow, reduces frequency (especially at night), and decreases urgency.


Lower Risk of Side Effects

• Less likely to cause sexual dysfunction (erectile issues or retrograde ejaculation) compared to surgical options.
• Lower risk of bleeding and infection.

Outpatient or Short Stay

• Often done as an outpatient procedure or with a short hospital stay.
• Recovery time is typically days rather than weeks.

Alternative for High-Risk Patients

• Suitable for men who cannot undergo surgery due to age, heart conditions, or other medical risks.

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Things to Consider

• Not every patient is a candidate — depends on prostate size, anatomy, and overall health.
• Long-term data is still being collected; TURP and laser procedures have more decades of outcome data.
• Requires specialized interventional radiologists, so availability may be limited in some areas.

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Quick Summary

PAE is good because it offers a minimally invasive, lower-risk alternative to surgery for prostate enlargement, with strong symptom relief and faster recovery.

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Can you recommended a urologist?

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Choose the one with the smallest fingers. Trust me on that one.

Removing the catheter wasn't pleasant, but neither was it painful. Only slightly uncomfortable. A nurse did it, and took only a minute or two.

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Choose the one with the smallest fingers. Trust me on that one.

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Ak-shu-al-lee there is no finger up the arse required these days .


Had my prostate checked at a hospital in Asia last year.. the hospital looked & felt more like a Four Seasons hotel than a hospital.. nurses all spoke perfect English .. they did bloodwork, urinalysis , other tests and an ultrasound .. turns out my prostate is slightly enlarged (im mid 40s, so i gotta keep an eye on that).. my PSA #s are good.. I learned there is zero correlation between an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer.. and also they dont treat an enlarged prostate , they only treat the symptoms, if you have them… the Dr spoke broken English, and when i mentioned to him id heard that dietary changes can help shrink the prostate, he said “No ! Only way to stop prostate getting bigger is stop getting older ! You die !! .. Or you get Time Machine, you go back in time, prostate get smaller !!”… it was comical, but i got the point .

Even though i have travel insurance, i paid out of pocket, and the whole thing- consultation with Dr, ultrasound, bloodwork, etc- cost me $105 usd , all-in.. US healthcare is a scam by comparison .

Oh, and luckily there was no catheter insertion involved ………….

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Were you having any particular symptoms prior to surgery ?

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Never had any symptoms. Was being monitored for several years due to PSA steadily climbing. After last jump from 15 to 22 in 6 months they did MRI and another biopsy and found cancerous tumor this time. No pain before, no urination issues, … kinda scary that this might have gone undetected if not for a random blood test a few years ago

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an enlarged prostrate removed robotiacally.

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So, Tobor the great cut it out?

Isn’t a physician guiding it? How is robotic surgery any better?

Thanks for you service, Greenbean. I can't tolerate Flomax and some of it's similar meds. Since I had problems with Flomax and because of my history with kidney stones my urologist wanted to try reducing the size of my prostate to help stones pass more freely in the future, so he prescribed Finasteride which somehow very gradually shrinks the prostate. Though my PSA number.was never that high, my PSA numbers have gradually decreased 60% over the last 2 and a half years!

In addition to treating an enlarged prostate, Finasteride is commonly prescribed to help with male pattern baldness. My barber said I won't have to worry about going bald!

The negative side: You may experience a decreased libido and volume of ejaculate! At age 79, I was already experiencing that before taking Finasteride from natural aging issues, but my libido and volume issue still work enough to satisfy my needs!!! And I no long have had problems with kidney stones!!!!!