BPH & Voiding Management Care
- Most men stay one night in the hospital.
- A catheter usually stays about a week. Care for it as you were shown, with the bag below your bladder.
- The small belly incisions can be washed in the shower after 48 hours. Pat them dry.
- Walk several times a day from the start.
- No heavy lifting or straining for about 4 weeks. Use a stool softener.
- After the catheter comes out, urgency, frequency, and some blood in the urine are common for a few weeks.
Call right away
Call the office at (516) 535-1900, or go to the nearest emergency room after hours, if you have:
- You can't urinate, or clots block the flow
- Fever over 101°F or chills
- Bright red urine that doesn't clear with extra fluids
- Swelling or pain in one leg, chest pain, or shortness of breath (go to the emergency room)
Your own instructions come first
Every patient is different. If the instructions you got at your visit or at discharge differ from this page, follow those, and call the office at (516) 535-1900 with any question.
Written and reviewed by Shervin Badkhshan, MD · Last reviewed
November 2026
Your results and questions
Your actual test results, visit notes, and messages with your care team are in your patient portal, the same one you use to book visits. Send questions through the portal or call the office at (516) 535-1900. For anything urgent, call the office or go to the nearest emergency room.