FAQ

The urine flow has become so weak and you can definitely not pass urine as you did 30 years ago…You need to wake up nights more than once in order to go to the toilette and when you pee you have to press then stop and start again. What is going on?

There is either a defective ‘pump’ (bladder muscle) or the ‘pipe’ (neck of the bladder, prostate, urethra, foreskin) is too narrow. If you have a urinary tract infection, that could also lead to such difficulties, especially when the infection affects the prostate.

The urologist can reach the diagnosis through a series of examinations. The most important of them all is the evaluation of the urine flow and the calculation of the residual urine volume after peeing. The urologist must also evaluate the size and consistency of the prostate gland by touching the prostate through the anus.

Should those examinations not lead to a diagnosis, an x-ray of the urethra and a cystoscopy might have to be performed. If the cause remains still unknown, a urodynamic study could show whether it is a problem of the pump or a problem of the pipe. It is important to find the exact cause of the symptoms, because every different cause needs a different approach.

Inform your urologist whether you are under medications and which ones they are and whether you are diagnosed with some neurological disease.

Do not be afraid that your urologist will immediately advise you to have an operation performed. Such a problem can very often be treated with medication. Even if an operation is needed, this operation is most of the times a minimally invasive operation, that can be performed through the urethra.