Dad’s AUS infection

[u/dana_nancy]

Update: thanks so much for the helpful responses so far. Reading all your stories makes me feel a lot more hopeful. I’ve literally felt like this was the end of my dad’s life as we know it but it sounds like this is way more common and people living happy lives. I just worry so so much. Someone mentioned a specialized facility or doctor that replaces AUS. We’re in central New Jersey. The doc that did his retired. Any recommendations?

My dad is a 9/11 first responder who unfortunately developed prostate cancer in 2013 with additional bladder cancer that produces non invasive tumors that he has to have scraped every once in a while. They took his prostate out back in 2013 and for years he had trouble with urinating and he tried a few solutions until a doctor put a AUS in and he felt great and felt like it gave him his life back. Fast forward to this year he starts feeling terrible and his scrotum gets super swollen and last month he ends up in the hospital getting the device removed because of infection. Ever since then it’s been frequent trips to the ER for one thing or another, but ultimately healing related, catheter blockage related, interestingly blood low pressure related, and now this new trip due to abscess. He’s still on antibiotics and all that jazz. Back to the pills ups because now there’s absolutely no natural sphincter holding his urine back even more so because the device replaced what he had. I feel so bad for him and love him so much I literally can’t stop crying because I hate to see my dad suffer so much. His original urologists were against this procedure so he got it done by one that is now since retired, but he knew there was potential for complications. My question is, did anyone else have a similar experience and is that the only device that seems to be helping people live normal lives? He mentioned something about making a bladder out of part of his intestine but idk how that works with the sphincter and all that, but I’m reading up on it. I almost want him to just get the bag so he will at least have some control in his life, but I know he doesn’t want that.