Follow Up

Follow-up & ongoing care

For existing patients who need a review, a post-operative check, or a results discussion.

At a glance

• • Best for:
• • Post-procedure checks, results review, medication changes, repeat prescriptions, and ongoing monitoring
• • If something feels urgent: Use the three-tier urgency guide below — it tells you what to do today
• • Quick actions:
• • Book via Carebit
• • Self-service options
• • Contact my team

What brings you here?

Quick-match your situation below, then jump to the relevant guidance. If you're not sure which applies, use the detailed decision support tool further down.

Is it urgent? How to know what to do

This section helps you decide whether you should seek emergency care, contact my team for same-day advice, or book a routine follow-up. If you're ever unsure, it's safer to escalate rather than wait.

Quick self-service options

For common requests like booking follow-ups or requesting repeat prescriptions, your secure patient portal is usually the fastest route.

Need more detail? Complete guide below

The sections above help you take quick action when you know what you need. The comprehensive guide below helps you:

• • Decide whether you actually need follow-up right now
• • Understand what each appointment type involves
• • Know what's normal recovery vs. what needs attention
• • Prepare effectively for your appointment
• • Get answers to common questions

Continue reading for detailed guidance, or jump directly to: Decision support | Recovery timelines | FAQs

Start here: do I need a follow-up appointment?

Most people don't need more appointments than necessary. This quick self-check helps you decide whether to book, wait, or seek urgent help.

If you've had a procedure recently

• • Book a post-operative review
• • if you have any of the red flags above, if symptoms are worsening after initial improvement, or if you're simply not confident your recovery is on track.
• • You may not need an urgent appointment
• • if discomfort, bruising, or swelling is gradually improving day by day and you can pass urine normally.
• • If you're unsure:
• • it is safer to use NHS 111 or attend A&E than to wait for an email reply.

If you're on medication or monitoring a long-term condition

• • Book a follow-up consultation
• • if it's time for a planned review (often 6–12 weeks after starting or changing treatment), if symptoms aren't improving, or if side effects are bothering you.
• • Book sooner
• • if you're thinking of stopping treatment, changing dose, or you've developed new symptoms.

If you're waiting for results

• • Book a results discussion
• • if results are abnormal, borderline, unexpected, you have multiple results to interpret, or you want a clear plan.
• • A brief written summary may be enough
• • if results are straightforward and normal and no changes are needed (we'll tell you when that's clinically appropriate).

When you probably don't need a follow-up appointment

You may not need immediate follow-up if:

• • Post-operative recovery is tracking exactly as outlined in your discharge instructions
• • Symptoms that prompted treatment have completely resolved
• • You're tolerating medication well with good results and no side effects
• • Test results are completely normal and we've discussed no further action
• • You have no questions or new concerns

This doesn't mean "never follow up" — it means you can wait until:

• • Your next scheduled review (if one was planned)
• • Symptoms change or new concerns develop
• • You want to discuss stopping or changing established treatment
• • It's time for routine monitoring (annually for some conditions)

Saving an unnecessary appointment isn't neglecting your health — it's recognizing when things are working well.

Select your appointment type

Pick the option that matches what you need. If you're worried about a post-operative complication, read the urgency triage guide at the top first.

Not sure which tests you might need? The Treatment Options hub can help you understand what's available (and what's not worth your time).

Recovery timelines: what's normal?

Recovery varies by procedure and by person. The aim here is not to replace your personalised discharge instructions — it's to reduce anxiety and help you spot when things are drifting in the wrong direction.

Green flags: common, expected recovery features

• • Discomfort that is manageable with the agreed pain plan and gradually improves
• • Bruising that looks dramatic but is not rapidly expanding or spreading beyond expected areas
• • Swelling that peaks in the first few days and then slowly settles
• • Mild oozing or spotting from a wound early on (not pus, not a sudden gush)
• • "Lumpy" feeling around dissolvable stitches as they break down (days 7–21 typically)
• • Tiredness for a few days after anaesthetic or sedation
• • Scrotal bruising tracking down toward the thigh (this looks alarming but is normal gravity-driven spread)
• • Yellow or white tissue at wound edges (this is fibrin/healing tissue, not infection)
• • Dissolvable stitches becoming visible or feeling "spiky" as they break down
• • Urinary stream slightly weaker immediately after prostate or urethral procedures (temporary swelling)
• • Pink-tinged urine intermittently for several weeks after bladder or prostate procedures
• • Scrotal or penile swelling worse in morning, better with supportive underwear
• • Mild numbness around surgical site (nerves regenerate slowly — can take weeks to months)

The pattern matters: gradual improvement is reassuring. Worsening after initial improvement is when I want to hear from you.

Typical recovery examples (high-level guidance)

These are broad guides based on common patterns. If your written discharge instructions differ, follow those. Individual recovery varies based on age, overall health, surgical complexity, and adherence to post-operative advice.

Circumcision / frenuloplasty

• • Week 1:
• • Moderate swelling and bruising are common, especially days 2–4. Some oozing from suture line is normal. Discomfort with clothing contact is expected.
• • Week 2–3:
• • Dissolvable stitches breaking down (can feel lumpy or spiky). Swelling gradually reducing. Sensitivity still heightened.
• • Week 4–6:
• • Near-normal appearance. Sexual activity usually delayed until 4–6 weeks minimum (individualised based on healing).
• • Months 2–12:
• • Scar continues maturing, flattening, and changing colour. Sensitivity normalises.

Varicocele surgery (microscopic or laparoscopic)

• • Days 1–3:
• • Scrotal swelling and bruising can look impressive. This is expected. Mild groin discomfort.
• • Week 1–2:
• • Bruising tracking downward is normal gravity effect. Most people return to light activity within days.
• • Week 3–6:
• • Gradual return to strenuous activity and sport (follow individualised advice). Small lumps from healing tissue can persist for months.
• • 3–6 months:
• • Final assessment of varicocele recurrence and semen parameter improvement (if fertility-motivated).

TURP / prostate procedures (TURP, HoLEP, laser)

• • First few days:
• • Catheter typically in place. Blood in urine expected. Bladder spasms can occur.
• • Week 1–2:
• • After catheter removal, urinary frequency and urgency are common. Intermittent blood in urine during healing (can persist for weeks).
• • Week 3–6:
• • Gradual improvement in urinary symptoms. Some urgency may persist as bladder retrains.
• • Months 2–3:
• • Final symptom improvement typically seen. Inability to pass urine at any point is a red flag.

Vasectomy

• • Days 1–3:
• • Aching and scrotal bruising common. Supportive underwear helps. Rest and ice as advised.
• • Week 1:
• • Most discomfort settling. Return to light activity. Avoid heavy lifting.
• • Week 2–3:
• • Usually back to normal activities including exercise (follow individualised advice).
• • Red flags:
• • Fever, rapidly increasing swelling (possible haematoma or infection), or severe uncontrolled pain.
• • 3 months post-op:
• • Semen analysis to confirm success (timing as advised).

Hydrocele repair

• • Week 1–2:
• • Swelling can be significant initially. Gradual reduction with supportive underwear. Some fluid re-accumulation is possible early on.
• • Week 3–6:
• • Most swelling settled. Return to normal activities as comfortable.
• • Months 2–6:
• • Final assessment of recurrence risk. Small amounts of fluid can re-accumulate in some cases.

Post-operative safety & recovery

Recovery can be bumpy. A degree of discomfort, bruising and swelling can be normal — especially in the first days. The key is separating expected healing from a complication that needs urgent assessment.

Red flags: when to seek urgent help

These symptoms require urgent assessment. Don't wait to see if they improve.

• • Heavy bleeding
• • (soaking dressings repeatedly, passing large clots, or bleeding that doesn't settle with direct pressure)
• • Inability to pass urine
• • (acute urinary retention — bladder feels full but you can't urinate)
• • Worsening urinary retention
• • (progressively more difficult to empty bladder)
• • Fever ≥38°C
• • (100.4°F), especially with chills, flank pain, back pain, or feeling systemically unwell
• • Severe pain
• • not controlled by the agreed pain management plan
• • Rapidly increasing swelling
• • in penis, scrotum, or surgical site — especially if accompanied by increasing pain, redness, or heat
• • Spreading redness or heat
• • from surgical site, particularly with red streaks tracking away from wound
• • Pus discharge
• • from wound (thick, opaque, foul-smelling fluid — not clear oozing)
• • Calf pain with new swelling
• • (possible deep vein thrombosis) — especially concerning if associated with breathlessness or chest pain
• • Sudden breathlessness or chest pain
• • (possible pulmonary embolism — call 999)

If you are unsure whether a symptom is urgent, it is safer to call NHS 111 (in the UK) or attend A&E rather than waiting for an email reply.

For chest pain, collapse, severe breathlessness, or stroke symptoms, call 999.

How we handle test results

Some results are simple. Many aren't — especially when values sit in a grey zone, the report contains nuanced detail, or the "so what?" matters for your plan.

When is a consultation usually needed?

A consultation is typically appropriate when:

• • Results show a new diagnosis or meaningful change
• • Findings are borderline or conflicting and need interpretation in your specific context
• • Treatment is likely to start, stop, or change based on results
• • You have multiple results requiring integrated interpretation
• • You have questions or decisions to make about next steps

If you have multiple questions or decisions to make, booking a results discussion is usually the most efficient route.

Examples of when consultation is usually needed:

• • Testosterone:
• • Below normal range with symptoms → Discuss whether replacement therapy is appropriate, risks/benefits, monitoring requirements
• • PSA:
• • Elevated or rising trajectory → Plan investigation pathway (MRI, biopsy consideration, active surveillance vs. intervention)
• • Semen analysis:
• • Low count, poor motility, or abnormal morphology → Explore fertility options, identify reversible causes, discuss assisted conception
• • Imaging findings:
• • Unexpected findings on ultrasound, CT, or MRI → Understand clinical significance, decide on further investigation or management
• • Multiple abnormalities:
• • Several test results showing interconnected issues → Comprehensive review and coordinated management plan

When might a brief written summary be enough?

In some situations, when results are completely normal and no changes are needed, my team can send you a brief written confirmation instead of booking a full review. We will let you know when that is clinically appropriate.

Examples when written summary often suffices:

• • All routine bloods completely normal:
• • No symptoms, no treatment changes needed → Confirmation letter with "continue current plan"
• • Stable monitoring results:
• • PSA unchanged on surveillance, testosterone optimal on stable replacement dose → Reassurance note with next review timing
• • Expected improvement confirmed:
• • Follow-up scan showing healing as anticipated post-procedure → Summary of findings
• • Temporary issue resolved:
• • Repeat test confirming infection has cleared or temporary abnormality has normalised → Closure note

Uploading external results

If your tests were done elsewhere (for example at your GP practice, another hospital, or a private laboratory), please upload them to your Carebit portal or send them securely to my team at least 48 hours before your appointment.

This gives time for a proper pre-read, which makes your review far more useful. It allows me to:

• • Understand the full context before we meet
• • Identify any additional tests we might need to arrange
• • Prepare specific management options relevant to your results
• • Use your consultation time efficiently for decision-making rather than first reading

If you're unsure of the best route for secure upload (Carebit portal vs. email), my team will advise you when you book.

I haven't heard back — what should I do?

Result timelines vary by test type. Routine bloods are often faster than specialist imaging or tissue biopsies.

If you're beyond the timeframe you were given — or your symptoms are worsening while waiting — please contact my team. Don't assume delay means "no news is good news."

If you're concerned about something urgent, use NHS 111 or A&E rather than waiting for results to come through routine channels.

Book a results discussion

Preparing for your follow-up

A well-prepared follow-up is usually a faster, clearer appointment — with better decisions at the end. Taking a few minutes to prepare helps us make the most of your consultation time.

Checklist for all appointments

• • Complete any recommended tests before your appointment
• • (if timing allows and tests were requested). This ensures results are ready to discuss.
• • Bring an up-to-date medication list
• • including all prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and any testosterone, "performance" products, or recreational substances that might be relevant.
• • Note changes in symptoms since your last visit:
• • Are things better, worse, or unchanged? What makes symptoms better or worse?
• • Write down your top 3 questions for the visit.
• • This helps ensure your priorities are addressed even if time is limited.
• • If you've been sent questionnaires via Carebit,
• • please complete them before the appointment. If you can't find the invite, tell my team and we'll help.

If your appointment is about urinary symptoms or prostate issues

• • Complete an IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score)
• • if you haven't recently — this is available in your Carebit portal or on the
• • LUTS management page
• • Consider keeping a bladder diary for 3 days
• • if frequency is a concern (record fluid intake, urination times, volumes if measurable)
• • Note your current symptom burden:
• • How often are you getting up at night? Is stream weak? Any urgency or leakage?

The LUTS management guide provides comprehensive background that makes follow-up conversations more efficient.

If your appointment is about erectile function or sexual health

• • Complete an IIEF-5 (erectile function questionnaire)
• • if you haven't recently — this gives an objective baseline for monitoring response
• • Note your response to any medications tried:
• • Which worked? Side effects? Dose used? Timing?
• • Think about your priorities:
• • Is spontaneity important? Cost a factor? Willing to consider self-injection if tablets don't work?

The Erectile Dysfunction guide includes validated questionnaire tools and practical preparation advice.

For video appointments specifically

• • Test your camera and microphone in advance
• • (log in to Carebit 10 minutes early to check connection)
• • Have your results open
• • (or printed) so we can look at them together during the consultation
• • Choose a private space
• • — urology is personal, and you deserve confidentiality
• • Have adequate lighting
• • so I can see you clearly (especially important if you're showing me anything visually)
• • Keep your phone nearby
• • in case the connection drops and we need to call you
• • Have a pen and paper ready
• • for any instructions or notes you want to take

Cost and payment

Follow-up consultations are charged at standard consultation rates. Transparency about costs helps you make informed decisions and plan appropriately.

Typical scenarios

• • Routine follow-up consultation (video or in-person):
• • Standard consultation fee applies
• • Post-operative review:
• • Often included in your surgical package fee for the first 6 weeks post-procedure; thereafter standard consultation fee applies if additional reviews needed
• • Results discussion:
• • Standard consultation fee applies
• • Repeat prescription without appointment:
• • Administration fee where clinically appropriate (typically when stable, established prescription with recent review)

For current fee information, contact my team when booking. If your follow-up is part of post-operative care included in your surgical package, we'll confirm that when you book so there are no surprises.

Private medical insurance

We're recognised by all major UK private medical insurers. If you're using insurance:

• • Authorisation requirements vary
• • between insurers and policy types — please check with your insurer before booking if you need pre-authorisation for follow-up appointments
• • Some policies cover post-operative care
• • as part of the surgical episode; others require separate authorisation for follow-up consultations
• • We can provide itemised invoices
• • for insurance claim submission if your policy requires you to pay and reclaim
• • If you're unsure about your cover,
• • my team can help you understand what to ask your insurer

Common insurers we work with: Bupa, AXA PPP, Aviva, Vitality Health, WPA, Cigna, Allianz, and most other major providers.

Self-paying patients

If you're paying for your care directly (not using insurance), fees are payable at the time of your appointment unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance.

We accept payment by card, bank transfer, or cash. Itemised receipts are provided for all consultations and can be submitted to your insurer if you later decide to claim.

Questions about costs or payment? Contact my team: 020 4576 5779 or mrollandinisecretary@ggomed.co.uk

Ready to book?

If you already know what you need, book directly using the options below. If you're unsure, start from the self-check decision support at the top and we'll route you to the right next step.

Medical disclaimer: This information is for general education only and cannot replace personalised medical advice. If you're concerned about your symptoms, please speak to a GP, call NHS 111, attend A&E, or see a specialist urologist — depending on urgency.

Emergency situations: For life-threatening symptoms (chest pain, severe bleeding, collapse, stroke symptoms), call 999 immediately. For urgent concerns after hours, call NHS 111.