Anyone have experience cycling after going through the Urolift procedure?

leonc456

Like many men in mid-life or later, I've developed an enlarged prostate. My urologist has suggested that I'm a candidate for the Urolift procedure. I'm concerned about how this may affect my road biking hobby.

Anyone here have any experience with Urolift and cycling afterwards?

bikeradar15

I just had the Urolift procedure done a week ago. I haven't ridden yet, but I'm hoping to start again in a few weeks. I'll be sure to report back here as soon as I know anything. So far, there's no real pain or sensitivity that makes me worry it'll be a problem, but I haven't sat on my saddle yet. Doc told me to wait 4 weeks before riding. Expect my first report after the holidays.

leonc456

Thanks for your input. I hope it goes well for you and will look forward to hearing about your experience. Did you talk to your doc about cycling before going through with the procedure?

bikeradar15

leonc456 said:

Did you talk to your doc about cycling before going through with the procedure?

Yes, I did talk with him about it. But you know that doctors (unless they are cyclists themselves) really don't understand what we do. And me being a randonneur -- few cyclists understand randonners -- I'm really out there on my own. My doc didn't know of any data one way or the other regarding cyclists. He warned me that whatever the outcome, I would represent just one person. I'd be a case study -- a population of just 1. Hard to generalize from my experience.

I guess I know there's a risk, but given how much more destructive the other procedures are, this one seemed the least risky and quickest recovery. It's only been about a week and I already see benefit, in terms of my ability to pee normally. That's certainly a good thing.

I plan to start out on the stationary bike. If that feels OK, I'll move onto the road.

bikeradar15

A few minutes on a stationary bike 3 weeks after surgery. No issues.

handful

I've been referred for a urolift as well and was interested to stumble across this. On a non cycling subject, has the procedure helped at all? I'm also considering a rezum procedure

bikeradar15

handful said:

I've been referred for a urolift as well and was interested to stumble across this. On a non cycling subject, has the procedure helped at all? I'm also considering a rezum procedure

It has definitely helped. Now I can almost sleep through the night without peeing. In the past I'd be up every 90 minutes. Things aren't perfect; I don't pee like an 18 year old, but there's been a dramatic improvement. I have much better control.

The doc told me to stay off the bike for at least 4 weeks, and I pretty much listened to him (other than my stationary bike trial week 3). All detectable side effects (pain, pink urine) were gone in a week. I can't speak about what Rezum is like, but for me Urolift was very fast recovery. Just a couple annoying days with a catheter and a little pain for a couple days more.

I'm at week 5 after the procedure. I took a 25 mile bike ride today over mixed terrain. Absolutely no pain (other than the usual pain caused in my wimpy legs when I try to climb big hills). Not the slightest hint of pain in the crotch or any other unusual place. Pretty much a non issue thus far. I will take it easy, riding when the weather allows. I'm hoping I'll be 100% in the Spring.

bikeradar15

I've now ridden about a few hundred miles with no issues. Maybe 10 years from now I'll be in a class action suit, but right now there's been no indication that the Urolift procedure has been anything other than a success. I can pee like a 50 year old again (I'm 61). There has been zero effect on my cycling. One of my rides was a 200K.

handful

bikeradar15 said:

handful said:

I've been referred for a urolift as well and was interested to stumble across this. On a non cycling subject, has the procedure helped at all? I'm also considering a rezum procedure

It has definitely helped. Now I can almost sleep through the night without peeing. In the past I'd be up every 90 minutes. Things aren't perfect; I don't pee like an 18 year old, but there's been a dramatic improvement. I have much better control.

The doc told me to stay off the bike for at least 4 weeks, and I pretty much listened to him (other than my stationary bike trial week 3). All detectable side effects (pain, pink urine) were gone in a week. I can't speak about what Rezum is like, but for me Urolift was very fast recovery. Just a couple annoying days with a catheter and a little pain for a couple days more.

I'm at week 5 after the procedure. I took a 25 mile bike ride today over mixed terrain. Absolutely no pain (other than the usual pain caused in my wimpy legs when I try to climb big hills). Not the slightest hint of pain in the crotch or any other unusual place. Pretty much a non issue thus far. I will take it easy, riding when the weather allows. I'm hoping I'll be 100% in the Spring.

I forgot I asked this question so apologies for the late response! My referral has been postponed twice now so not seeing the urologist until April. I think I will probably go for the urolift, I hear more good than bad so worth a try. I don't get up that often in the night but only because I limit what I drink to the extent I don't drink enough. I find it very hard to go back to sleep after getting up. Thanks again for sharing your experience.

handful

I thought I should update on recent developments. After being told in a telephone consultation in April that I would be added to the list I was also told to expect a loooong wait. Then out of the blue about 3 weeks ago I was told they could do me on 14th November. So to cut a long story short, I am now sat at home after having the procedure last Saturday. I can only assume people were pulling out with fears of covid and I therefore queue jumped!

Early indications are it was successful but not going to rush back onto thebike for around 4 weeks as suggested by another poster. I will update on my recovery as I improve and get back in the saddle.

vitesse169

handful said:

I thought I should update on recent developments. After being told in a telephone consultation in April that I would be added to the list I was also told to expect a loooong wait. Then out of the blue about 3 weeks ago I was told they could do me on 14th November. So to cut a long story short, I am now sat at home after having the procedure last Saturday. I can only assume people were pulling out with fears of covid and I therefore queue jumped!

Early indications are it was successful but not going to rush back onto thebike for around 4 weeks as suggested by another poster. I will update on my recovery as I improve and get back in the saddle.

Good to hear that you are ok and recovering well. about 14 years ago my GP told be my prostate was slightly enlarged - I was 46/47 then. He said surgery was not an option but a herbal remedy, Saw Palmetto, would help as I was peeing 2-3 times a night. I have used this daily since and within a few months found I was up once a night. Now, I'm unlucky if I go for a pee in the night. Surgery makes by blood run cold - very wimpy of me....! Hope you continue to improve, please keep us updated.

TexOzRider

Hello. I am very likely to decide to have the Urolift procedure in the near future. My urologist has confirmed that I am a good candidate for the procedure following having a cystoscopy a few days ago. My main concern is will it affect my ability to ride as much as I currently do and will strenuous long distance riding cause the staples to pop out? A friend of mine had his Urolift staples come unfastened whilst he was at the gym bending backwards over an exercise ball which understandably would put some strain on that area, a bit different to riding a bike. I ride between 100 and 200 kms per week depending on how much opportunity I have. I also ride in the occasional long distance race event. I am in Australia so I do not know how our road conditions compare to others. I do a mixture of road riding and gravel bike riding so conditions can be a bit rough at times.
I notice that it has been a year to 18 months since others in this conversation have had the procedure so just wondering how you are now getting on? Are you able to spend hours on the bike saddle without any problems?
A little bit about me. I am 59, I survived a subarachnoid haemorrhage 2 years ago, it has taken 2 years but I am almost fully recovered. Bike riding has been a huge part of my rehabilitation both physically and mentally. It is important to me to be able to keep riding as much as I can. Any updates on how you are managing your rides following the Urolift would be very much appreciated.
Cheers, Terry.

yearofthegoat

Thanks to all who've posted on here. I'm on tamsulosin ATM but as it's becoming less effective, surgery is on the horizon at some point. Will def be asking about UroLift.

bobEEy1oRgt

My doctor recommends I have the Urolift procedure done. he told me recovery time would be at least 7 weeks before getting in the saddle again.
I was wonder how long it took for other peoples recovery after having the procedure done
I was hoping for 7-10 days recovery at the max
after the recovery were you able to ride pain free.
Appreciate any and all help

geepondy

Thank you for the posts. I'm 10 days post Urolift process and still have pain when urinating but the groin area is relatively pain free. Thus far I can say the procedure is negligible at best for alleviating urinary symptoms but I realize it's early in the recovery. I picked this time of the year as I knew the outdoor cycling season was largely over but I'm interested in knowing how quickly I can safely return to running and light weight liftin?? My doctor was vague on exercise specifics, he just said wait at least a week before trying anything. Interesting comment about the guy popping a clip by bending over backwards on an exercise ball. I will certainly avoid doing that for several months! If any runners or weight lifters that come across this who had the Urolift procedure can comment, I would appreciate it. I'm thinking at least a light elliptical workout would be safe.

jeffdmaurerUj-yeAhl

Since info on this is difficult to find, I'll add my experience. I had the Urolift procedure done in July 2021 under a local plus nitrous. Catheter for a day. Definitely notable discomfort urinating the first week post procedure; This was largely resolved within 10-14 days. I began light exercise starting day 2: weights, crunches, pushups, elliptical trainer. Trail walking starting day 4. Running resumed after about 10 days. It was about 6 weeks before I resumed cycling. Initially felt a bit tentative, but have not perceived any issues. Now, some 5 months later, I'm riding about 100 miles/week (mostly on a Kick'r Snap because it's winter) with no problem.

Like others in this thread, I've historically done a fair amount of endurance cycling, Century rides, randonneuring, some racing, etc. Plan to return to that in 2022 and will post if I encounter any problems. My urologist had zero experience with patients that cycle. This thread was the only reference I could find when I was contemplating my options. Overall, I'm pleased with the results.

TexOzRider

Thanks jeffdmaurer and others for information regarding your progress post urolift procedure. That is somewhat reassuring. I am booked in for urolift on 8th April so I will post again after recovery and when I have some indication of any improvement or problems.

jeffKcymOw_O

Following up on my procedure in July 2021. It's now May 2022 and I'm quite pleased with the outcome thus far. The procedure resulted in improvements in many dimensions and I haven't encountered any negatives. Glad that I opted for this over TURP. In terms of exercise, things have returned to normal with no difference from pre-procedure. Since Nov 2021 I've logged 1800 cycling miles in Zwift and some on the road. Have not done any randos or ultra distance yet, but don't anticipate that will pose a problem based on my experience so far.

TexOzRider

Hello again, I had my urolift procedure on 11th March 2022. The surgeon had informed me I was an ideal candidate with my prostate relatively small in size but enlarged enough to have severely restricted urine flow. During the operation which was performed under general anaesthetic the surgeon found that there was also a narrowing of the bladder neck. Only 2 prosthesis (urolift staples) were required in the prostate and incisions were made in the bladder neck to open it up.
First time urinating after surgery was quite painful but it was good to get it over and done with. A reasonable amount of blood the first time. After that urinating was uncomfortable but not too bad for a week or two. It took 4 weeks for me to notice any real improvement to my pre urolift urinating. But then, as the inflammation settled down I have had considerable improvement. I wouldn't say it was a 100% fix but certainly a huge improvement. Getting up once a night instead of 4 times, good strong flow 90% of the time, no problems with sexual function.
I was going for lengthy walks after 2 weeks and back on the bike at 6 weeks. I ride regularly but the longest ride I have done so far since the procedure is 40 kms and I have had no discomfort at all. I am very satisfied that I chose to have a urolift and not a TURP which was initially recommended to me by a previous surgeon.
Happy riding. Cheers from Mudgee Australia.