Regarding my recent experience with Urolift. The last 2 days have been uncomfortable but maneageable except for one thing, a spasming bladder, which gives about at most a 20 sec warning and I am peeing. What I noticed is that as my bladder gets not very much urine in it, it will spasm and I better be close to the bathroom. Yeah, I once ended up peeing on the kitchen floor. I’m supposed to travel to visit relatives on Saturday in the car and at one point this seemed to be highly doubtful without wearing adult diapers. OK the spasming has seemed to pass, but I’m writing this post because I’m irritated with my urologist. Here’s the sequence:
- I have an appointment with my urologist for “urgency of urination”. Now my definition of this is from the time I start feeling you have to relieve yourself, I’ve got about about 10-15 minutes to find a a toilet. Does that seem urgent? Anyway…
- The doctor tells me “sure we can look into this here are some pamphlets to read about different procedures.” I’ll take them home and read them one’s a laser, ones a steam therapy, something else, and Urolift. It’s the less invasive and I go for the latter.
- I go in for the procedure, I sign an authorization saying I consent and acknowledgeable I know enough to enough to give consent. I’m simply told there’ll be some pain, burning, and urgency that can last several days to a week, there’s no sitdown consultation. It’s just something mentioned in passing.
- At the end of the procedure, I’m still loopy with gas, the Dr pats me on the shoulder on the way out of the room and says see you in two days. He may have said to remove the catheter, but anyhow, I assumed in two days there would be a post procedure consult but after I dressed the assistant ushered me out of the room and said good day.
- The assistant says “hey if you wanna take the catheter out yourself, you can, this is how you do it do it tomorrow morning. On the way out of the office at the checkout desk, I’m set up with an appointment in two days which I assume is to remove the catheter (in case I decide not to do it mysel) and a post procedure “how goes it” and then for another, four weeks follow up.
- On the way driving home, I noticed a pretty intense sensation, an ache pain as I urinate. And I who had a catheter before for a previous condition then hardly even noticed when I was peeing. This was different. I was encouraged to drink liquids to get my plumbing working again properly and so the spasm were this concerning cause I had no idea what they were.
- So I looked it up bladder spasms are common with prostate procedures. The only reason I knew they were bladder spasms because my son suffers from them from being an air crew and holding his urine for too long, which can apparently lead to that condition.No one said anything about it as a distinct possibility
- This morning I go in for my 2 day check up, I’m ushered to a room. The assistant walks in and announces he’s ready to remove my catheter. I tell him “I took it out just like you said I could.” He said “so why are you here”? I said “for my two day check up.” “Oh we don’t do those, so you can leave and come back in four weeks”
- I said I want to “talk to the doctor” After driving 20 miles to get there, I was aggravated, asked him “did I miss one part of this procedures consultation. I been having bladder spasms that I didn’t even know what they were until I looked it up online and nothing was mentioned about this.”
- His reply, “I gave you all the info and plenty of opportunity to be informed.” I said “you never mentioned bladder spasms, and how acute they could be which I didn’t even know about”.
- His reply, “There’s the Internet and as an adult, you have thr responsibility to research. I said “you’re the professional, and I’m coming to you for guidance. All I got were some pamphlets that mentioned options did not really go into post procedure conditions. I came to you complaining about urination urgency so being told I’d have urination urgency after the procedure left me with a certain impression that was not accurate, and it did not give the an accurate impression regarding how acute post conditions might be.”
Anyway, he acted like he was irritated that I was taking up his time and from a customer service standpoint it was all wrong. He was somewhat diplomatic, but basically he was talking down to me and putting responsibility on me to inform myself, and then he mentioned signing a consent form. I said “how about a pre-and post consultation and printed information about what to expect and just how acute the symptoms can be”. He said “with the number of people we run through here, we don’t have the time. Some patients want us to go above and beyond to explain details to them.” While I was thinking in his mind, “above and beyond” as providing consultations about specifics of a procedure and what to be ready for afterwards. He did say urination;urgency, pain, and burning, that covers everything, right?🤔
How I long for the good old days when I competent doctors had the time to advise you before and after. You get an operation and they come by right after and tell you how it went and I would expect if they were postoperative procedures these would be presented in writing, including a description of what to expect as possible side effects. Is this unreasonable? I tend to view this procedure, although a minor procedure to be the same.
Am I being unreasonable? Go ahead, tell me I can handle it.🙃
… any typos will be corrected as I spot them.
