I was unaware and hadn’t recognised any symptoms until the latter stage when retention caused kidney trauma and the enlarged prostrate had blocked the urethra. I was told that Green Light laser surgery was necessary to erode the prostrate and unblock the urethra. I was fitted with an in-dwelling catheter. The staff and level of care at NHS (Scotland) Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy was very good and I greatly appreciated their help and support.
The NHS (Scotland) waiting list was long I was told, with no certainty of likely timescale. The Scottish Government target is 1 year. This was a devastating prospect and so I went private. Within less than 1 month I had the surgery. It went very well and I quickly recovered from that. I found the standard of care and quality of the staff very good. NHS must improve on waiting times for surgical procedures.
Unfortunately I have since been unable to urinate without a catheter and moved on to self use disposable single use catheters which I took to very well. I was recently invited to have a Urinary Dynamic Survey procedure, which concluded my bladder had been stretched so much by the retention problem that it is no longer functioning and unlikely to recover. Permanent self catheterisation will be my new lifestyle.
The Survey procedure was undertaken by the NHS at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and can’t praise highly enough the assistance, care and attention given by the staff the Urology department. They are very professional and deliver very high levels of care with attention to detail in maintaining dignity, explaining what is happening and clearly advising on future needs and support. I am now trialling at home the best way and best timescales in which to use the self catheters to ensure I void my bladder before volumes exceed 400ml. Beyond that I will need to practice good forward planning in terms of catheter supplies and using/travelling away from home.
My advice is to be scrupulous about prostrate, bladder and kidney health and care. Seek medical help and advice if you notice any changes in urination or wellbeing and have your prostrate checked periodically for size and health. I think occasional ultrasound checks could have detected my problem earlier.
"Enlarged prostrate causing chronic urine retention"
About: Queen Margaret Hospital / Urology Queen Margaret Hospital Urology KY12 0SU Victoria Hospital / Urology Victoria Hospital Urology KY2 5AH
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