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Patient Instructions

You had minimally invasive prostate resection surgery to remove part of your prostate gland because it was enlarged. Your procedure was done in your doctor's office or at an outpatient surgery clinic. You may have stayed in the hospital for a night.

You can do most of your normal activities within a few weeks. You may go home with a urine catheter. Your urine may be bloody at first, but this will go away. You may have bladder pain or spasms for the first 1 to 2 weeks.

Drink plenty of water to help flush fluids through your bladder (8 to 10 glasses a day). Avoid coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol. They can irritate your bladder and urethra (the tube that brings urine from your bladder out of your body).

Eat a normal, healthy diet with plenty of fiber. You may get constipation from pain medications and being less active. You can use a stool softener or fiber supplement to help prevent this problem.

Take your medicines the way your doctor told you. You may need to take antibiotics to help prevent infection. Check with your doctor before taking aspirin or other over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and other drugs like these.

You may take showers, but avoid baths if you have a catheter. You can take baths once your catheter is removed.

You will need to make sure your catheter is working properly. You will also need to know how to clean the tube and the area where it attaches to your body. This can prevent infection or skin irritation. See also: Catheter care - indwelling

After your catheter is removed:

• You may have some urine leakage (incontinence). This should get better over time. You should have close-to-normal bladder control within 3 to 6 months.
• You will learn exercises that strengthen the muscles in your pelvis. These are called Kegel exercises. You can do these exercises any time you are sitting or lying down. See also: Kegel exercises - self-care

You will return to your normal routine over time. You should not do any strenuous activity, climbing stairs, chores, or lifting (more than 5 pounds) for at least 1 week. You can return to work when you have recovered and are able to do most activities.

• Do NOT drive until you are no longer taking pain medicines and your doctor says it is okay. Avoid long car rides until your catheter is removed.
• Avoid sexual activity for 3 to 4 weeks.

Call your nurse or doctor if:

• It is hard to breathe.
• You have a cough that does not go away.
• You cannot drink or eat.
• Your temperature is above 100.5 °F.
• Your urine contains a thick, yellow, green, or milky drainage.
• You have signs of infection (a burning sensation when you urinate, fever, or chills).
• Your urine stream is not as strong, or you cannot pass any urine at all.
• You have pain, redness, or swelling in your legs.

While you have a urinary catheter, call your doctor if:

• You have pain near the catheter.
• You are leaking urine.
• You notice more blood in your urine.
• Your catheter seems blocked.
• You notice grit or stones in your urine.
• Your urine smells bad, or it is cloudy or a different color.

Laser prostatectomy - discharge; Transurethral needle ablation - discharge; TUNA - discharge, Transurethral incision - discharge; TUIP - discharge; Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate - discharge; HoLep - discharge; Interstitial laser coagulation - discharge; ILC - discharge; Photoselective vaporization of the prostate - discharge; PVP - discharge; Transurethral electrovaporization - discharge; TUVP - discharge; Transurethral microwave thermotherapy - discharge; TUMT - discharge

Fitzpatrick JM. Minimally invasive and endoscopic management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 88.

Updated by: Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.