Friday, March 08, 2013

6+ Years, Still OK. Medicare Coverage for Green Light?

Today someone posted a comment to this 'Me and My BPH' blog, which reminded me that I haven't posted any updates in awhile. While trying to remember how to create new postings, I noticed that people actually read this...ten to 30 people per day...who knew?!

It's been six years and a few months since the GreenLight procedure, and everything is still OK.

As in past years, there is still a tendency toward hesitation in starting to pee, if I didn't really need to go. For example, I'm getting ready to go shopping so I decide (just on general principles) to pee before I leave. Getting started may take 5, 10, 20 seconds.

But if I do need to pee, it starts right away.

Flowrate is still great. I never need to get up in the middle of the night to pee, and I haven't had any urinary tract infections since the procedure.

I'm still surprised that one of the doctors that I consulted with recommended TURP over Green Light. From what I've read, TURP is bloody (maybe even a blood transfusion), painful and requires a hospital stay. I'm glad I didn't follow his advice!

I'm now on Medicare. Had I delayed getting the Green Light treatment, I do not know if Medicare would have covered the procedure or not...does anyone reading this know?


6 comments:

Pete said...

I had a greenlight 8 days ago and had a catheter for 3 days post-op. peeing was pretty good with blood and clots. At the end of urination I get bad cramps and blood if my bladder is fairly empty it seems. Blood was slowing but today the blood is back pretty heavy with a bunch of clots. Do you know if this will clear up? I am 54 and had a neg. biopsy about 3 months ago.

Thanks

Pete said...

I had a greenlight 8 days ago and had a catheter for 3 days post-op. peeing was pretty good with blood and clots. At the end of urination I get bad cramps and blood if my bladder is fairly empty it seems. Blood was slowing but today the blood is back pretty heavy with a bunch of clots. Do you know if this will clear up? I am 54 and had a neg. biopsy about 3 months ago.

Thanks

ProudPapa said...

My experience was different, with things clearing up pretty fast after the procedure. Did any other readers have this sort of extended-term bleeding?

Pete said...

I just read your entire experience - I didn't notice it was a complete history, but only saw your latest post earlier today. Tonight the blood is much reduced, almost gone again, for now I assume. During and after the heavier bleeding I also had more clots then in the past few days. Now the clots are much diminished as is the blood. I'm assuming this is the healing process? Other than more blood my experience seems similar to what yours was which has given me some mental relief. Thanks for posting your experience. Quite the long thread! I had a 90+ gram prostate (size of a 90 year old man's) and my urologist said he had to remove a lot of material so maybe this is the reason for all the blood & clots. By the way I know all about morse code as I hold a ham radio license. I find that if I drink more water I get less cramping type pain. Another thing is that I often feel like I have to go and when my bladder is fairly empty, I get a short 5 second or so blast followed by a bit of blood, maybe a teaspoon along with the cramping type pain - this just occurred. I guess (hope?) the bottom line for tonight is that my experience seems fairly "normal" as related to yours.

Anonymous said...

Medicare coverage for GreenLight? My doc said it was no problem, period. My co-pay for it was $190.

Anonymous said...

Medicare coverage for GreenLight? My surgeon said it was not a problem, period. My co-pay was $190.