UroLift: What to Expect
UroLift treats an enlarged prostate by placing small implants that hold the prostate lobes open, widening the channel for urine. No prostate tissue is cut or removed.
Before your procedure
- Take only the medicines your care team approved. If you take a blood thinner, aspirin, or a supplement and were not told what to do, call the office — do not stop anything on your own.
- Take any antibiotic you were prescribed.
- Arrange a ride if you were told you will receive sedation.
The day of
The procedure is often done with local numbing or light sedation. Your care team places a few tiny implants to pull the prostate open. It is usually quick, and you go home the same day. You often go home with a catheter for a day or two.
The first few days
For a few days it is normal to have:
- Burning when you urinate
- Urgency and needing to urinate often
- Some blood in the urine
- Mild pelvic discomfort
Drink extra water and use your prescribed comfort medicine. Symptoms usually ease within several days.
The first few weeks
Urine flow often improves quickly. Most men return to normal activity within a few days. UroLift usually preserves the ability to ejaculate normally.
When to call your care team
Call the office number on your discharge paperwork right away, or seek emergency care, if you have any of these:
- You cannot urinate at all
- Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or shaking chills
- Heavy bleeding or clots that block urination
- Worsening pain not helped by your medicine
If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or another life-threatening emergency, call 911.
MyUrologyCare — UroLiftRead or reprint this guide at: myurologycare.org/procedures/urolift.html
Educational only — not medical advice and not a substitute for your care team. Follow your own discharge instructions. Call the office number on your discharge paperwork with questions. For an emergency, call 911.