Magnolia
Jedi
Summary of my request for help/information:
1. Does anyone have experience or information about protocols/supplements to minimize the effects of anesthesia due to surgery?
2. Does anyone have information on benign enlarged prostate surgery and side-effects; or any experience they would be willing to share?
3. Has anyone had experience with autologous blood donations (donating your own blood to be used in your own surgery)?
I've searched the threads, but haven't found anything that addresses these issues. If you know of any, I'd be grateful to read them, and if you have any experience, anecdotes, or information about these three things, I'd be grateful to know that too. Thank you!
The story behind this request:
Before covid, my husband had a large prostate (BPH: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). The prostate had interfered with his sleep for years because he had to get up 4-6 times each night to pee. In 2019, his urologist (from a renown hospital) said nothing could be done about the prostate or the lack of sleep.
My husband also had an inguinal hernia. In 2020, he was going to have it surgically repaired, but covid descended upon us, ‘elective’ surgeries were cancelled for over a year, and after that hospitalization seemed too risky.
Two months ago, due to extreme abdominal pain, we went to an emergency clinic. My husband was catheterized; they removed 2 liters of urine and found a UTI. They took a CT scan which showed kidney failure (13% functionality), a 2.6 cm bladder stone (which had doubled in size in 3 years), and a 148 cm prostate. At 1:00 am in the morning, the ER told me to drive him to a hospital (40 minutes away) where he was admitted for 6 days.
While in the hospital, my husband consulted every day on the phone with a friend of ours who is a “spiritual advisor.” She told him the bladder/kidney issue was a manifestation of thoughts of “resentment,” and he had to clean his consciousness of this “dis-ease.” He worked on it. The kidneys and bladder healed, miraculously, in a few days. But the bladder stone and prostate remain large and prohibit normal urination. He left the hospital with a foley (urine) bag and catheter which he must use until he has surgery. Meanwhile, he is working hard to identify and remove the thoughts that precipitated the prostate, bladder stone and hernia. (The surgeon does not agree that we should get another CT scan, so we do not know if any of the symptoms have improved.)
After the hospitalization for kidney failure, we went to the original urologist who had failed to see the bladder stone on the original scan (which has become a major complication). He sent us to a surgeon who did only HoLEP surgeries. This surgeon was displeased that we wanted to research various surgical methods before scheduling a surgery date with him, and he dismissed us. He is apparently very good at his job, but this lack of openness was a concern.
So, we looked around and found a new urologist and interviewed other prostate surgeons. We also went to a new hernia doctor, who discovered my husband now has two hernias; they are huge; and they must be repaired ASAP.
So, now there are three necessary surgeries:
1. Remove bladder stone (it’s large and possibly blocking the urethra)
2. Enucleate/core the prostate (remove the excess material inside the prostate because it’s choking the urethra).
3. Repair the hernias.
Because the prostate is so large, some surgeries won’t work, and we are told that only 3 surgeries are possible:
I. Open abdominal surgery/simple prostatectomy
This process removes the bladder stone and cores the prostate in one surgery.
The prostate shell is left intact -- the prostate is not actually removed.
This can be done (a) with a 4-5” incision OR (b) robotically with 5-6 small incisions around the bladder.
Due to post-surgical scar tissue, the hernia surgery must be done at the same time.
Concerns include a potential need for a blood transfusion, about 5 hours under anesthesia and, although the surgery is done through the bladder instead of the urethra, it is essentially the HoLEP process with the same negative side-effects/consequences (see below).
II. HoLEP
HoLEP is done through the urethra so no incision is needed.
The process removes the bladder stone and cores the prostate in one surgery.
The hernia would be repaired at a later date (there is no scar tissue to prevent a second surgery).
Concerns include a lot of potential for negative consequences (incontinence, retro ejaculation, sexual dysfunction), potential need for a blood transfusion, and 3-4 hours under anesthesia.
III. Aquablation
This process is also done through the urethra so no incision is needed.
The surgery is computer-assisted, so prostate damage is reduced, and it is supposed to have the fewest side effects.
Aquablation cannot remove the bladder stone. A separate surgery may be required to remove the stone before coring the prostate.
The hernia would be repaired at a later date (there is no scar tissue).
Surgeons do NOT like the idea of three separate surgeries (first the stone, then the prostate, then the hernia).
The doctor’s recommendation is #I -- do all three surgeries at once via a robotic simple prostatectomy with 5 small incisions, followed immediately (while still under anesthesia) by a hernia repair with another 5-6 small incisions. Recovery time is estimated at 3 months.
Re autologous blood donations: Surgeons frown on it and discourage it. It is probably a complication they prefer to avoid. However, my husband will do it, if possible, for the obvious reasons. It requires primary care doctor paperwork and coordination between Red Cross and the hospital.
*Footnote 1 (according to Louise Hays’ Causes of Symptoms):
Prostate: Represents the masculine principle. Mental fears weaken the masculinity. Giving up. Sexual pressure and guilt. Belief in aging.
Hernia: Ruptured relationships. Strain, burdens, incorrect creative expression.
Bladder Problems: Anxiety. Holding on to old ideas. Fear of letting go. Being “pissed off”.
*Footnote 2
My husband has read this and is perfectly okay with posting it and asking for help.
1. Does anyone have experience or information about protocols/supplements to minimize the effects of anesthesia due to surgery?
2. Does anyone have information on benign enlarged prostate surgery and side-effects; or any experience they would be willing to share?
3. Has anyone had experience with autologous blood donations (donating your own blood to be used in your own surgery)?
I've searched the threads, but haven't found anything that addresses these issues. If you know of any, I'd be grateful to read them, and if you have any experience, anecdotes, or information about these three things, I'd be grateful to know that too. Thank you!
The story behind this request:
Before covid, my husband had a large prostate (BPH: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). The prostate had interfered with his sleep for years because he had to get up 4-6 times each night to pee. In 2019, his urologist (from a renown hospital) said nothing could be done about the prostate or the lack of sleep.
My husband also had an inguinal hernia. In 2020, he was going to have it surgically repaired, but covid descended upon us, ‘elective’ surgeries were cancelled for over a year, and after that hospitalization seemed too risky.
Two months ago, due to extreme abdominal pain, we went to an emergency clinic. My husband was catheterized; they removed 2 liters of urine and found a UTI. They took a CT scan which showed kidney failure (13% functionality), a 2.6 cm bladder stone (which had doubled in size in 3 years), and a 148 cm prostate. At 1:00 am in the morning, the ER told me to drive him to a hospital (40 minutes away) where he was admitted for 6 days.
While in the hospital, my husband consulted every day on the phone with a friend of ours who is a “spiritual advisor.” She told him the bladder/kidney issue was a manifestation of thoughts of “resentment,” and he had to clean his consciousness of this “dis-ease.” He worked on it. The kidneys and bladder healed, miraculously, in a few days. But the bladder stone and prostate remain large and prohibit normal urination. He left the hospital with a foley (urine) bag and catheter which he must use until he has surgery. Meanwhile, he is working hard to identify and remove the thoughts that precipitated the prostate, bladder stone and hernia. (The surgeon does not agree that we should get another CT scan, so we do not know if any of the symptoms have improved.)
After the hospitalization for kidney failure, we went to the original urologist who had failed to see the bladder stone on the original scan (which has become a major complication). He sent us to a surgeon who did only HoLEP surgeries. This surgeon was displeased that we wanted to research various surgical methods before scheduling a surgery date with him, and he dismissed us. He is apparently very good at his job, but this lack of openness was a concern.
So, we looked around and found a new urologist and interviewed other prostate surgeons. We also went to a new hernia doctor, who discovered my husband now has two hernias; they are huge; and they must be repaired ASAP.
So, now there are three necessary surgeries:
1. Remove bladder stone (it’s large and possibly blocking the urethra)
2. Enucleate/core the prostate (remove the excess material inside the prostate because it’s choking the urethra).
3. Repair the hernias.
Because the prostate is so large, some surgeries won’t work, and we are told that only 3 surgeries are possible:
I. Open abdominal surgery/simple prostatectomy
This process removes the bladder stone and cores the prostate in one surgery.
The prostate shell is left intact -- the prostate is not actually removed.
This can be done (a) with a 4-5” incision OR (b) robotically with 5-6 small incisions around the bladder.
Due to post-surgical scar tissue, the hernia surgery must be done at the same time.
Concerns include a potential need for a blood transfusion, about 5 hours under anesthesia and, although the surgery is done through the bladder instead of the urethra, it is essentially the HoLEP process with the same negative side-effects/consequences (see below).
II. HoLEP
HoLEP is done through the urethra so no incision is needed.
The process removes the bladder stone and cores the prostate in one surgery.
The hernia would be repaired at a later date (there is no scar tissue to prevent a second surgery).
Concerns include a lot of potential for negative consequences (incontinence, retro ejaculation, sexual dysfunction), potential need for a blood transfusion, and 3-4 hours under anesthesia.
III. Aquablation
This process is also done through the urethra so no incision is needed.
The surgery is computer-assisted, so prostate damage is reduced, and it is supposed to have the fewest side effects.
Aquablation cannot remove the bladder stone. A separate surgery may be required to remove the stone before coring the prostate.
The hernia would be repaired at a later date (there is no scar tissue).
Surgeons do NOT like the idea of three separate surgeries (first the stone, then the prostate, then the hernia).
The doctor’s recommendation is #I -- do all three surgeries at once via a robotic simple prostatectomy with 5 small incisions, followed immediately (while still under anesthesia) by a hernia repair with another 5-6 small incisions. Recovery time is estimated at 3 months.
Re autologous blood donations: Surgeons frown on it and discourage it. It is probably a complication they prefer to avoid. However, my husband will do it, if possible, for the obvious reasons. It requires primary care doctor paperwork and coordination between Red Cross and the hospital.
*Footnote 1 (according to Louise Hays’ Causes of Symptoms):
Prostate: Represents the masculine principle. Mental fears weaken the masculinity. Giving up. Sexual pressure and guilt. Belief in aging.
Hernia: Ruptured relationships. Strain, burdens, incorrect creative expression.
Bladder Problems: Anxiety. Holding on to old ideas. Fear of letting go. Being “pissed off”.
*Footnote 2
My husband has read this and is perfectly okay with posting it and asking for help.
