Untreated prostate issues leave man's bladder like 'plastic bag'

A 40-year-old man, recently married and planning to start a family, faced severe urinary obstruction and bladder damage due to long-term, untreated prostate enlargement. Medical examinations revealed his bladder was filled with pus and had lost its elasticity, functioning like a "plastic bag" with significant fibrosis. This condition, often developing silently, can cause irreversible harm.

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Prostate enlargement's damage to bladder function is 'unnoticed and irreversible.'

Dr. Gu Fang-yu, director of Gu Family Medical Hospital, explained that the enlarged prostate severely compressed the man's urethra, preventing complete bladder emptying. The residual urine led to infection and pus accumulation. The chronic strain of forceful urination further damaged the bladder's smooth muscle, replacing it with fibrous tissue. This loss of elasticity meant the bladder could no longer expand and contract naturally, requiring manual abdominal pressure to aid urination.

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The patient's bladder, due to long-term repeated forceful contractions, had its muscle tissue gradually replaced by fibrous tissue. After losing elasticity, it became like a plastic bag, unable to expand and contract on its own, only able to urinate with manual pressure on the abdomen.

Given the patient's strong desire to preserve his fertility, doctors chose a "prostate lift" surgery. Traditional methods like laser surgery carry a high risk of retrograde ejaculation, where semen enters the bladder. While water vapor ablation has a lower risk, the prostate lift procedure, though self-funded, offers a near-zero risk according to medical literature. The surgery successfully improved urination and preserved ejaculatory function, though the bladder fibrosis continues to cause issues like frequent urination and overactive bladder.

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The patient strongly requested that 'even a 5% risk is unacceptable.'