Right, it probably occurs in a minority of PVP patients. But I don't believe
PVP is being promoted with the MINORITY in mind.

I'm sure as this procedure becomes more prevalent there will be many more
experiences that don't corroborate the "walk in the park" scenario that
Laserscope is promoting. I'm not doubting the superiority of PVP to TURP and
some of the alternatives. But the medical industry has a responsibility to
the patients who may not have such an  easy time of it. They need to be
REALISTIC and prepare patients for the more difficult experiences as well as
the quick success stories.

I was not given any written information whatsoever about what to expect. In
fact, I went into acute retention the next night and had to be taken by
ambulance to the hospital to get re-catheterized. Since then, I've learned
that urinary retention happens in 5-10% of the time, post-surgically. Where
was that on the Laserscope site? If I had more complete information I could
have been aware of the signs and gotten myself to a hospital hours earlier!

Today I was told that the surgery destroys the Uretha and it takes up to 3
months for the Uretha to repair itself. In another words, even if only 10%
of PVP patients are likely to experience a prolonged recovery, they should
be told that this possibility exists. I didn't see anything about this in
the literature either. For Christ sake, they are boiling human tissue in a
strategic and delicate area!

If marketing and medicine are to coexist, then the marketers should own up
to the real world... not the convenient fantasy-land of  best case
scenarios. I'm sure those success stories exist, but this is human health
were dealing with, not choosing a house painter or a television.

Marcus

My urgency and getting up at night post PVP are very minor. If I
gave up the night time mug of tea I don't think I would have a
problem. The urgency seems associated with full bladder so with
a bit of forward thinking that would not be a problem either.
Don't avoid an early PVP for those reasons or you could end up
with other things a lot worse (kidney failure, permanent damage
to your bladder, etc.).

See my posts. I was back doing moderately physical work (against
recommendations!) with a few days of surgery and have never
looked back. I feel five years younger. Go for it.

Derry