Silly Question?

Sure this is a silly question but I have never been in the hospital for surgery.

Are you able to go the restroom after a TAH? Or do you have to use bed pan? Can't quite understand how a bed pan works?

thanks

Hi Jpink. I'm 7 weeks out from a TAH/BSO and my experience was that when I came out of surgery I had a catheter in. The next morning they removed the cath and from then on they want you to get up and go to the bathroom. For me, they specifically told me that as soon as the cath came out, I would have to get up and go to the bathroom. It's hard for the first few days to get up and go but it gets better every day. Good luck to you. ps. it was my first surgery also.

I had a catheter after my TAH which was removed the next day. I do remember when I woke up from my surgery, I kept telling them I REALLY needed to go to the bathroom, and they explained I had a catheter. Still groggy, I kept insisting that I had to go to the bathroom. They patiently explained about the catheter again. Then I said, "I can just relax and let go?" and they said yes. Then I think I went to sleep again, but of course, all of this is fuzzy. The next day, after they removed the catheter, I was able to get up and eventually go to the bathroom myself, and I had to go in something called a "hat" which measured my urine. Once they determined I was urinating an adequate amount, I didn't have to do that any more. (There are no silly questions here.)

Not a silly question. I am nine days post op. I too had a catheter. Before the surgery I was worried about having a catheter, thinking that it would be uncomfortable and difficult. It wasn't at all. The catheter came out early the next morning. I was told to call the nurse for assistance to the bathroom the first three times I had to go as I was still pretty shaky on my feet and that they needed to measure my urine output to make sure everything was working right.
I had no problems at all. My guess is that they will want to get you up and moving as soon as possible and needing to pee is a pretty good motivator.
Best of luck and take of you.

No questions are silly.....they put my cath in me at surgery...when I got to my room....I kept on telling the nurse I had to pee...she told me that is was from the preasure of my cath....number 2 nurse came in and I told her I had to pee....she said no I didn't it was the preasure of the cath...number 3 nurse came in...I told her I REALLY HAVE TO PEE!!!! ...she checked my cath and raised it up (the tube) and all of a sudden all of this pee (that I didn't have to do) came running out of the tube. She said....you had to pee...so after that when I felt the need to pee...I raised my tube and I peed. They removed my cath the next morning and my nurse told me to wait about an hour and half before trying to go to the bathroom. And after the first few times with assistance...I was able to go by myself. My cath didn't bother me at all when removed or anything...once I figured out that I had to raise the tube to pee. And after my cath was removed they would check my bladder to see if it was emptying. It was like an ultra sound. And that didn't bother me either....Good luck to yea!!!!

Jpink,
I'm so glad you asked this. It helps so much to hear everyone's experiences.

I'm going to have surgery soon, not sure exactly what but I'll be having either a LAVH or oophorectomy or some combination.

I've never had anything but in and out gallbladder surgery and I don't think I had a catheter in for that. (if I did, I didn't know it!)

I just hope if I have to have one that they put it in while i'm knocked out...

I don't want to know

Nope not a silly question. A very insightful one actually.

For almost any overnight full on surgery they insert a catheter (and yes, they do it after you're knocked out). Mine was left in this time til the morning after, but I've had a couple of previous surgeries where it was left in for a couple days. They can be slightly uncomfortable but nothing unbearable.

The others are right that after it is removed they will want you to get up to go to the bathroom. I will make one small suggestion for that. As SOON as you feel like you need to go, call a nurse. DON'T wait, and don't hesitate. The reason I say this is because once many years ago I waited, the nurses were busy and it took them a while to get to me, by the time they did my bladder was so full that I was in true pain from it and getting up and moving was truly miserable.

Sometimes after surgery you can feel like you're being a bother because you have to call the nurses for every little thing but that is their job and they will not mind, so don't be afraid to call them as often as you need to keep yourself in the most comfortable place possible.

Good luck

Hi Jpink

My catheter wasn't removed until the nurses were sure I could walk all the way to the bathroom. I was very glad to have it in until then so I could rest without worrying about having to go!