Urolift / Rezum / Prostate Surgery
Post Procedure Instructions
If you have any problems, please call or text Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger: 646-663-5252
What to expect:
You may have some blood in your urine after the procedure for the first week after the procedure. A small amount of blood may also come from the rectum. You can expect minor bleeding in your urine for the first 1-2 weeks after procedures such as Rezum and Urolift; and as long as 3-4 weeks after surgical procedures such as prostate enucleation, laser procedures, and TURP.
You may experience burning in the urethra and the penis, frequent urination, urge to urinate, and slow urine stream for the first few weeks after the procedure. These symptoms become progressively less bothersome over the first two weeks after the procedure.
It usually takes a few weeks for urination to improve and for frequency, urgency, and bleeding to resolve. Sometimes you might have intermittent small amounts of blood in your urine for the first month after your procedure. You may also pass small clamps of blood or small “blood clots”.
What you should do:
Drink a sufficient amount of fluids (2-3 cups every 2 hours) to produce an adequate amount of urine to dilute the blood in your urine.
Eat normally.
If you have a fever or chills, or not feeling well, please call us or go to the nearest emergency room.
You can use the medications listed below (prescribed to you) to manage your urinary symptoms during the recovery period.
You may have been prescribed the following medications:
Pyridium (phenazopyridine) – take 1 pill every 8 hours as needed if you have burning or pain when you urinate. Pyridium can make your urine appear orange.
Uribel – take 1 pill every 8 hours as needed if you have burning or pain when you urinate. Uribel can make your urine appear blue or black.
Oxybutynin – take 1 pill twice a day or as instructed on the label. Oxybutynin can help with frequent urination, urge to urinate.
Lidocaine cream or lidocaine-prilocaine cream around the tip of the penis and the catheter if you experience pain at the tip of the penis
If prior to this procedure you have been taking medications such as tamsulosin (Flomax), (Uroxatral), dutasteride or finasteride (Proscar), continue to take them for 1 month after the procedure or until told by the doctor to stop them.
Catheter
If you have a catheter, it will typically be removed a few days to a week after the procedure.
Make sure to empty the bag every few hours. If you were given a large bag to use at night, you would need to empty it less often.
Sometimes when a bladder spasm occurs, some urine may go around the catheter. This is not dangerous as long as most urine goes inside the catheter.
If most of your urine goes around the catheter, and you have pain in the bladder area, your catheter might be blocked. While this does not occur often, if this happens, you might need to come to our office or the nearest urgent care or ER.
If you have a urinary catheter (“Foley” catheter), you might have a sudden urge to urinate and possible bladder pain. This is caused by ‘bladder spasms’. Medications such as oxybutynin, Myrbetriq (mirabegron) can help with these symptoms. If you experience pain at the tip of the penis where the catheter enters the penis, apply lidocaine cream or lidocaine-prilocaine cream around the tip of the penis and the catheter.
The following video shows how to change the catheter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT7QM6jPrHg
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/caring-your-urinary-foley-catheter
Activity:
You may take a shower as usual after the procedure. If you have a urinary catheter and a urinary bag, simply wipe the catheter after taking a shower to keep the exterior dry. You can use regular soap and water to clean the catheter. Do not use anything else other than regular soap and water.
Do not engage in sexual activity for 3 weeks after the procedure or at least 2 weeks after you no longer see blood in the urine.
You may return to work / regular activity as tolerated. Most men are able to return to work within 1-3 days.
You may return to the GYM as soon as you are comfortable after the catheter has been removed and you no longer have blood in your urine. Most men are able to go back to the gym within a few days to 1 week after the procedure. Wait 2-3 weeks until returning to intensive activities that involve penis and scrotum, such as biking.
Many men doing office work can return to work the next day as long as you feel comfortable doing it. If you do physical work, you can return to work once you are comfortable, but many men are able to return in 1-2 days.
Pain Management:
You may take the prescribed pain medications (typically sent to your pharmacy electronically) if needed, but there is no need to take them if you do not have pain. Most patients do not pick up the prescription for pain medication from the pharmacy. See the list above for medications that are often helpful after prostate procedures. You may instead take Tylenol or Motrin if needed.
Contact the office at with any concerns.
This post is also available in: Spanish
