Aquablation Postoperative Instructions

Diet

After anesthesia, begin with clear liquids. Avoid any heavy meals on the day of the procedure. Depending on how you feel the following day, you may resume your normal diet. Drink plenty of water. The more blood you see in the urine, the more water you should drink.

Foley catheter

You will have a tube placed in the bladder called a Foley catheter. This drains urine from the bladder and exits the penis. Be sure the catheter is well secured to the leg at all times. There should never be any tension or tugging on the catheter. Take care not to pull on the catheter when rolling in bed or changing position. The nurse will show you how to attach the foley catheter to a leg bag during the day and a big bag at night. The drainage bag must be below the bladder to ensure the bladder drains well.

The Foley catheter has a balloon on the end of it to keep it in place in the bladder. This may give you the feeling you need to urinate. Be assured the catheter is draining and the sensation is from the catheter balloon. You may notice urine or blood-tinged urine leaking around the catheter out the tip of the penis. Typically this due to a bladder spasm and is not a cause for alarm.

If the catheter stops draining, get up and walk around. If it is still not draining, come to the emergency room as it may be clogged and need to be irrigated.

Urinary symptoms:

• Once the catheter is removed, it is normal to have burning and stinging with urination for a few weeks after surgery.
• You may see blood and/or tissue debris in the urine for a few weeks after surgery.
• You may notice changes in force of the stream, taking awhile to start the urine stream (hesitancy) or starting and stopping of the urine stream (intermittency).
• It is common to have more frequent urination and a greater sense of the urge to urinate. There may not be much warning from the time you feel the urge to urinate to the time when the bladder is ready to empty. You may need to get up at night to urinate more frequently.
• Most symptoms typically resolve within two to four weeks after Aquablation therapy, though individual results may vary.
• Symptoms may be related to the bladder and may take longer to improve (sometimes several months).

Activity

It is very important to walk at least six times per day. Walking prevents blood clots in the legs or lungs. You may go up and down stairs. Usually you can return to your everyday activities within a short time after the Aquablation Therapy procedure.

Avoid any strenuous activity or lifting more than ten pounds for 1-2 weeks. This includes any heavy lifting, running, riding a bicycle or golf. This also includes activities such as raking leaves, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow or other strenuous chores.

If you see blood in the urine, increase the amount of water you are drinking and avoid strenuous activity or heavy lifting until the blood clears.

Medications

Take the medications prescribed at the time of your discharge from the hospital. If you are taking any medications on a regular basis prior to your admission to the hospital, you should continue to take those as well. For any aches, pain or headaches, you may use Tylenol or ExtraStrength Tylenol. Do not use any aspirin or aspirin-like compounds for one week after surgery.

Avoid constipation

Anesthesia, surgery and narcotic pain medication all increase your risk for constipation. Do not strain to move the bowels as this can impair the healing process and start bleeding. Take plenty of fiber, water and over the counter stool softener to avoid constipation.

Stool softener can be taken by mouth twice a day to avoid constipation. A stool softener or laxative is available at any drug store without a prescription (senna or Senokot or SennaGen, Dulcolax or bisacodyl, Miralax, Metamucil, Milk of Magnesia or magnesium hydroxide). Decrease or hold the stool softener for diarrhea or loose stools.

Follow up plan

You will need to be seen in the office after surgery. Call the office to make an appointment if you don’t already have one.
If you develop a fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, (38.3 degrees Celsius) the catheter stops draining or you are unable to urinate, call the office or come to the emergency room.