Should I be worried about bladder problems post op??

I have been reading these boards, and am concerned about bladder problems. I am 2 weeks pre op- TAH for fibroids etc.... leaving ovaries (I hope) I've had 2 c-sections and realize that there may be some scar tissue.... I do see the doctor on the 24th for a pre-op....but waiting is SO hard right now.

This is a great site- God bless you all!!

urinary incontinence? Urge incontinence?

I had urinary incontinece symptoms going in and had bladder repair with my surgery. Evaluation was done prior to my hyster and a urologist was part of my surgical team.

One thing that MIGHT happen (emphasis on the MIGHT) is narcotics and anesthesia agents can numb the urethra and cause urinary retention. That is why we get a cath post op. The drugs do wear off. I had this happen with my out-patient myomectomy last year and was calling my gyn surgeon from a hotel room on Thankgiving day with severe edema. Couldn't pee! He put me in a bathtub of warm water which relaxed my urethra enough that I was able to avoid going to the ER for a cath. With this bladder repair, I had to stop the narcotic soon after surgery since they caused spasms. Managed just fine on anti-inflammatories.

Just remember that complications like I had doesnt mean you will have the same complications. Good possibility you won't. I didn't for all the other surgeries I had prior to the last two.

If you have concerns about future bladder problems, the time to discuss those with your doc is now so testing can be arranged. And surgical correction arranged if it is indicated.

I agree with MeDHanddaDog. I had to consult with a urologist and sometimes it can take a month or two to get in with one. If you do call make sure to tell them you are scheduled for surgery and they may be able to get you in sooner. If bladder surgery is needed you only want one anesthesia and recovery period. Lots of times the urologist and gyn have to arrange their schedule so that they can both be in the O.R. at the same time. Good luck.

Hi lamb & lion,

my uterus turned out to be 20 weeks too--wow, it's really unpleasant, isn't it?

Have you had bladder problems already? If not, then I would just mention your concern with your doc so that he can take a look, but don't stress about it. If you have had problems, then be really sure to bring them up and postpone the surgery if it seems advisable to get urodynamics tests.

It seems that sometimes people get more than one procedure done at the same time, but in other cases, docs prefer to wait and see if bladder problems improve. I had a huge fibroid down low that definitely affected my bladder. I still have some problems with stress incontinence with very vigorous exercise, but not bad enough to require more surgery at this point.

definitely bring up your concerns!

Hi Ya'll: I am 6 weeks post op today and had incontinence before surgery. My gyn set up an appt with a urologist and the urodynamics testing revealed that surgery was my best option. So my gyn did my hyster and then the urologist did the bladder sling. I'm happy to say I feel like a new person. No more non stop periods, pain, etc and the bonus is no more leakage!!!! I'm looking forward to my 6 week post op check up tomorrow and hope to go back to work soon. Best wishes to all the LIW.

LaDonna

Hi! I had TAH/BSO in September- I'm 45 years old. Here's my bladder experience- and none of it was bad! When the catheter was first taken out the day after surgery, I couldn't pee on my own no matter what I did to relax. A nice nurse put a basic cath in to give me some short term relief. Before the afternoon, I was going on my own.
I had bladder spasms just as my bladder was nearly empty- kind of a twinge or sensation but not a pain.This went on for several weeks - gradually getting better and disappearing. Many other ladies have written about this, too- it seems to be very common. Your bladder gets a good shock during the surgery and it lets you know about it!
Waiting is the pits but let me tell you- this was not that bad! I never had C- sections so had nothing to compare to but I was pleasantly surprised- not nearly as bad as I'd imagined!!
Keep in touch! s and best wishes!

I am still pre-op, so I can't help with your questions. Although, I worry about the bladder issues some as well. I have chronic kidney stones, and I am really afraid that all of the IV fluid will flush some out while I am recovering. I really don't want to do both at the same time! I have some mild stress incontinence, but I don't really feel it warrants talking to my urologist about it at this point. Maybe I should since I will already be there, but I think I would just like to get through the hyst and see how it is later. Maybe it will help? Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, tell you that I am having mine done the same day as you are (Happy New Year!), and tell you that I have some of the same concerns. Two weeks from now, it will all be finished and we will be recovering.

Amy