Complications after urological surgery

My Grandpa is 84 years old. Just seven days ago, he was incredibly active—out walking every single day. He’s such a wonderful man.

I've spent my entire life by his side, living with him since I was four. To put it simply, he's been a father to me.

Then, about a week ago, he lost the urge to urinate. My sweet little guy (that's my nickname for him) tried to hide it at first. But then his legs started swelling, and he looked completely bloated. I rushed him straight to the Urganten, where they initially tried diuretics via injection and then tablets. When that didn't work, they had to insert a catheter because he felt the urge but just couldn't go.

We’ve run all the tests. His blood work looks great, except for the urinalysis—it’s bad. There's blood in it, protein, and it's cloudy.

All of this has put a massive strain on his heart, so they prescribed several things: Lanoxin, nitroglycerin, and some other meds. They also gave him something for the urinary tract—some sort of small pills or capsules, plus Bactrim.

He has to take all these medications twice a day, along with two liters of cranberry juice.
And he takes those diuretics every other day...

Then we ran into issues with the catheter, so we had to get that sorted out too.

Basically, it's extremely painful for him when he tries to urinate...
We went for an ultrasound today, and the doctor confirmed there's a large stone in one kidney, a cyst in the other, and his prostate is severely enlarged. They said he needs surgery.

I am honestly terrified of this surgery, especially considering he's 84.
Does anyone know what kind of procedure this actually is? Anything at all, please.
I'm also worried about the risks, given how old he is.

😢

I really wish I could do more to help, though I don't have any personal experience or advice to offer here.

Surgery at that age definitely carries more risks, but honestly, it all depends on the individual case...

My Grandpa is 80 and about to undergo heart surgery 😢

But he still hits the office every single morning; he lives for what he built... he still drives his car... it's just getting harder for him to walk... and his arteries are totally clogged 😢 It’s terrifying, I’m scared

Taylor Wright4 🙂 😘

I’m really sorry to hear about your Grandpa,

The only thing keeping me sane right now is knowing that my own Grandpa, much like yours, is incredibly resilient. I guess he'll pull through all of this just fine.
😘 😘

Unfortunately, I can't offer much help here,
but I definitely get where you're coming from—trust me, I've been there.
A buddy of mine had prostate surgery at 85, and he’s pushing 90 now.
Wishing you the best.

Taylor Wright4:

Living in a senior living community gives me a front-row seat to seeing what many older
folks deal with.
For instance, I know an 87-year-old woman who just had total elbow replacement surgery—pretty much like getting a new hip.
Her husband, who’s 90 now, is currently battling kidney cancer... they've opted for radiation, though it's hard to say how that'll turn out.
That same gentleman actually had a successful prostate surgery back when he was 85.

Your Grandpa was quite mobile and active for his age, which definitely helps with the recovery process.
Medical care for seniors has come such a long way lately. It’s not unusual to hear someone say, "I'm only 62 and just had spinal surgery three weeks ago."
In my own case, doctors told me I wasn't a great candidate for anesthesia... but I made it through just fine.

Wishing you nothing but the best and lots of luck with Grandpa!

🙂 😉 😎

Taylor Wright4, just my two cents:
It sounds like Grandpa might have an enlarged prostate. When that happens, it squeezes the urethra and blocks everything from flowing out properly. That makes getting an infection way more likely because the urine just sits there and builds up (which is probably what happened here).

The procedure involves going through the urethra with an instrument to shrink the prostate under direct observation. I’m not entirely sure if they’re using laser technology for this at hospitals around here yet. If his condition doesn't allow for surgery, they could always go the stent route—basically just a small tube to keep the passage open where the prostate is causing the squeeze.

Hope that helps. 👋

My Grandpa had his pacemaker put in when he was 85. He’s 88 now.😎

My Grandpa actually had his prostate surgery done when he was 78, and from what I understand, they performed it using either a laparoscopic approach or through a catheter. He dealt with such minimal complications that he basically just drove himself to the hospital, came right back home, and didn't even bother mentioning to any of us that he'd undergone the procedure at all.
Just stay brave and try not to let the nerves get the better of you, because you're eventually going to feel it regardless.

So, what kind of prostate enlargement are we talking about here?
He’ll probably end up having some kind of minimally invasive procedure through the urethra. Given everything he's dealing with—especially since those heart issues you mentioned seem to be tied into his initial symptoms—
I guess that might be the smartest route since it helps him dodge general anesthesia entirely, since they usually just stick to regional numbing for stuff like that.
I'm really pulling for him and hoping everything goes smoothly. Just make sure you get him moving as soon as he's back home from the hospital; you definitely don't want him just staying glued to the bed too long.

Does anyone know what kind of complications to look out for after a ureteral stent procedure? My sister had her first surgery 8 days ago, and just two days in, they told her the stent diameter wasn't right... so they had to redo it with a smaller one. She’s already been back under local anesthesia twice, and after the third attempt, she's still in a ton of pain. Plus, instead of wound drainage, urine is leaking from the drain site itself. If anyone has dealt with this or knows what might be going on, please let me know. Thanks so much...