Abstract

This paper introduces a method of completely avoiding antibiotics for post-operative prostate patients having a much-reduced ability to pass urine. Antibiotics are otherwise continually needed to treat recurring infections caused by catheters used for bladder draining. Frequently after a prostate removal operation, the bladder cannot be emptied because the detrusor (bladder-squeezing muscle) had been permanently over-stretched due to chronic bladder outflow blockage caused by a chronically enlarged prostate. Using a catheter twice daily is uncomfortable and can introduce repeated infections into the bladder, requiring continual antibiotics to control. A method of avoiding antibiotics is of great importance because their recurring use can cause resistance and can lead to premature death from the recurring bladder infections. The events leading up to the problem for the patients case that is described below are presented in detail, hoping this may help others to recognise and address this fairly common condition sooner.