Patient Advice Following Rezūm Procedure (Steam Ablation) Treatment
Rezūm is is a minimally invasive treatment for men with symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate. It involved passing a telescope through your urethra (water pipe) and injecting steam (water vapour) into the obstructing prostate tissue around your urethra. This is usually carried out under a general anaesthetic. The prostate then reduces in size over the next three to six months. The procedure aims to help improve your urinary symptoms.
Pain
Following the procedure, you may experience some discomfort initially. You should take some pain relief such as paracetamol as necessary. Always follow the instructions on the side of the packet and do not exceed the recommended dose.
Bleeding
At home you may still see blood in your urine, and this can last for up to four to six weeks. You are also likely to see blood in your semen (ejaculate) which can last up to three months. As with any wounds, scabs form and eventually drop off, causing minor bleeding. If this happens, you should drink plenty of fluids to dilute any blood that is present. If the bleeding is heavy, or lasts for more than 48 hours then you should contact your GP.
General advice
Drink plenty of fluids (2-3 litres per day) for the next few days You may have a catheter in place for two to five days this will be removed by the district nurses on ………………………………………… You will be given advice on how to manage your catheter at home with supplies provided.
When the catheter has been removed, you may experience some difficulties, for example you may find it painful to pass urine at first and need to pass urine more frequently and urgently. This is normal and is nothing to worry about. It occurs because it takes time for the area operated on to recover. Things would be expected to settle over the next couple of weeks.
Please contact NHS urgent care (111) or go to A&E:
- If you are unable to pass urine
- Have heavy bleeding or passing large clots
- Have severe pain that doesn’t settle.
Please contact your GP or out of hours service if you experience increasing frequency of needing to pass urine, increased pain while passing urine or you develop a temperature.
There is a possibility you may have a urine infection. You may be asked to provide a urine sample and if necessary, take a course of antibiotics.
To help your wound heal quickly, it is important to eat a nourishing diet containing foods high in protein e.g. fish, eggs, milk and cheese.
Activity
Rest well for the first few days because the procedure and anaesthetic can often leave you feeling tired.
You should not drive for the first 24 hours which is a requirement of the Road Traffic Act.
Your own circumstances will determine when you go back to work. A week should normally be enough, depending on the heaviness of your workload.
You may resume sexual intercourse as soon as you feel comfortable.
Contact information
We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak to the following Dorset County Hospital staff:
GP or out of hours GP
NHS Direct 111
Dorchester Day Surgery Unit 01305 254501 (day of procedure only)
Lulworth Ward (after 7pm/8pm) 01305 255471
Abbotsbury Ward (after 7pm/8pm) 01305 255150
Urology Nurse Specialist 01305 255415
For non-urgent queries, please contact the urology secretaries via switchboard or on 01305 255468.
About this leaflet
Authors: Kayleigh Fairchild, Deputy Sister
Written: November 2025
Approved: 2025
Review date: 2028
Edition: v1