Longer to empty your bladder?

It seems like emptying my bladder since surgery takes forever now. I never experienced this before surgery, but now it seems to come in stages. When I think I'm done, I'm not and the trickle continues and continues.

Anyone else experience this and is it temporary? Is it anything to be concerned about? Other than that, I'm doing great and feeling good 6 days post-op.

Thanks,
Joyce

I looked at your profile and you had a TAH or SAH, I had a TAH myself and my understanding is that they have to move our bladders out of the way to get to our reproductive organs. I experienced the same thing you did and I am 24 days post-op and my bladder still does not seem right but it is getting better each day. Sitting there forever and it 'trickles' out, I too had no bladder trouble before surgery. Our bladders are probably bruised from being moved and doesn't like it and is healing just like the rest our insides.
Probably due to swelling also. Everything in our abdomens is swollen right now including bladder so would affect peeing....
But, yes, I did exp. that, too and little by little it has gone away.Try sitting 'back' (don't lean forward, lean back) when you go, I saw that somewhere and worked for me to empty it completely...

Yes. I still have problems peeing. I came home from the hospital with the catheter still in...the dr. left it in for a week. Then I had a bladder infection. Last surgery I had I had the same problem.
It is better though at 5 weeks. I do find if my bladder gets the least bit full I am uncomfortable and need to empty it. I think it make since though with how things are moved around in surgery.
Idon't know maybe this is all about us learning to slow down!!

Hi Ladies,

This will not be what you want to hear but I think it is better to know right up front so you can take immediate action to try to prevent further damage.

Bladder problems are a common side effect of hysterectomies, especially if the cervix was removed. When the uterus and cervix are removed the pelvic floor or support system for the bladder (and bowels) is changed. This is one of those little warnings on the hysterectomy brochure that most women don't relate to until after the surgery. It's also one of the conditions that your doctor was supposed to discuss with you prior to surgery and is listed on the consent form. However, the reality is that most women who have post-operative problems will not get definite answers for a long time (if ever) and by then, it's too late for early intervention. Too often the approach is "wait and see" and while some women may improve, for many women this is a permanent side effect. It's important that you do discuss this with your doctor now and make sure that the conversation is noted in your records. (Every time you visit your doctor get a copy of your records and notes for your own file.)

Ask your doctor about pelvic physical therapy, it is my understanding that many of the women who receive this right after surgery do much better than those who don't. Of course, the problem is that since this is considered an elective surgery for 95-98% of the women who have hysterectomies, the odds of having a doctor who will routinely prescribe the physical therapy is very slim. To admit that this is a post surgical problem brings into question the doctors liability for having done the surgery in the first place which brings us back to the "wait and see" practice which is, unfortunately, the standard level of care.

A urologist is the kind of doctor you will most likely be referred to after you make it clear to your GYN that you are having a problem. I waited too long to go to the urologist and would urge any women with post-op urinary problems to make haste to make her own appointment and not waste too much time with the GYN. There are some things that can be done, but sooner is better.

Best wishes,

Lucille is quite right that a lot of women do have trouble with their bladders after surgery. You should keep track of what is going on AND talk to the dr ---- however it is also fairly common to have spasms and things feeling odd for a week or two or even three after surgery.

I notice that the two women who voice concerns here are only 1 week out from surgery. I know I was having aches for a few weeks after surgery. It was actually about 5 weeks before I stopped having spasms when I peed.

Even without seeing your dr you can start doing kegel exercises which help strengthen the musles of your pelvic floor.

Please - if you feel something isn't right - DO call the dr - it is always better to be checked out and be told that you are ok rather than to leave things too long and find out you have a problem.

Hi Sisters

That sounds like familiar territory to me. It took me forever at first. Must be where the word 'tinkling' comes from. Have patience and bring along a novel, like 'War & Peace?... After 3 weeks, I can now say that is one thing (uhum, the ONLY thing) that is definitely back to normal. And I can now fill a bathtub compared to what I was able to hold before.
Nice and roomy in there without a big 'ole fibroid sitting on it.

joano
(pee champion of princessdom)

Bump!

I had my TVH (kept ovaries) on 8/6/04. I have to urinate just about every hour on the hour and I pee LOTS. I am constantly thirsty and my skin feels dry.

Thank you for this post. I will contact my doctor and inform him.

I was so glad to read Lucilles reply to this post.

I had my TAH/BSO on 9/7/04 and have been living a nightmare with bladder problems since then. I am in such pain and have to urinate so often that I hardly ever leave my house anymore. I urinate 2-4 times a night and never get a nights sleep. My gyn had the same approach, wait and see. Your bladder was moved around so much in surgery it will take awhile to heal. After 5 post op visits with the gyn who prescribed 5 different medicines and told me point blank that this was not a surgical problem and never even took a urine sample. He told me he had never had a patient have bladder problems last this long. I decided to see my GP. They were definitely not in agreement that this wasn't a surgery related problem. They took a urine test which was cloudy, because of all the meds I had been taking for 3 months. They referred me to a urologist. I was very uncomfortable with him because he kept telling me that the gyn had done everything right and followed all the right procedures and prescribed all the right meds. He even said he wasn't going to do an internal exam because my gyn did it so much better!! Then he kept asking me if I was sure that I hadn't had bladder problems pre surgery and was I sure that the medicines weren't helping me. To put it point blank, I felt like it was the uro protecting the gyn. After several straight forward comments and tears, I think I must have convinced him I wasn't lieing about the whole thing. He did agree that something should be done. I am having a CT scan of the abdomen Wed and a Cystoscopy on Thursday of this week.

I have all but lost my mind with this pain. Everything has suffered, my home, my marriage, our business, my own self. I can only pray that these tests will show something so that what ever this is can be taken care of.

Hi Sisters,
Well I too have bladder problems I am 4 weeks post op now and still having problems. After the cathedar was removed in hospital i couldnt go and retained 1.3 litres which was why i was screaming with pain . Now I go to the toilet frequently with little amounts 100-150 mls.
When you retain so much in your bladder it really hurts trying to carry it around.
After my last op around a year ago i had the same problem so they sent me to the Urologist and said it was lucky they did. If you stretch your bladder too much and for too long when you get older you will end up with a bag. Well that certainly frightened me. So he performed a Urethal Dilation I think thats how you spell it and I couldnt believe afterwards the difference in feeling of going to the toilet (which was the normal feeling) now I know from previous that things are not okay. I have spoken to my gyn and have and appointment on the 20th to have an ultrasound to check the emptying of the bladder and she said that because of the op or cathedar that it may have effected things and I may have to have this op done again.
So In my opinion I think it is definatley worth checking out. Best to be safe than sorry.



Barb

I am so devasted all I can do is sit here and cry and ask God why. Turns out that the Urologist office just called the insurance today for the approval of the CT scan of my abdomen and the cystoscopy, which they scheduled last week, and didn't even give the insurance a diagnosis, so my test were denied and referred to the medical director for approval. Have called the insurance company twice and they told me to call back at 4:55. Called the uro's office and the woman was so rude, told me she couldn't wait on the insurance and cancelled my appts. (after I called and left a message on their machine and begged them to wait until I talked with insurance this afternoon.) I told her that the insurance co. told me that they had just called today for the approval and she told me that was beside the point. I asked her if the tests would be rescheduled before the end of the year and she told me she didn't know when they would be rescheduled but she would let me know.

I truly don't know how much longer I can hang on in all this pain. I am trying so hard to keep my spirits up but this is really getting hard. Going to take a Xanax and wait to call the insurance co in 20 minutes.