Tip when you're back in your bed me sure you have a pee bottle round your bits because you can't tell if you need one, as I found out to my cost.
Hmmm.... I always assumed everyone leaves surgery with an indwelling catheter already? During surgery, I'd also assume they can't risk urine in the sterile field of the surgery! I do know that surgeons
want those catheters out as soon as possible, due to the high prevalence of urinary tract infections, but wouldn't it make more sense to leave it in for at least the day/ evening of surgery?
I hope some of you will read this and let me know your experience! I was told
by 2 different surgeons that I'd have a catheter for at least the first day.
@Andyinhull .... That's unfortunate that it happened to you. I would assume that since you did not have an indwelling catheter already, the well-trained staff would anticipate this. They could have had an open urinal (pee bottle) already "in place" so that you (and your incision!)
could have stayed dry and clean.
They also could have warned you that you wouldn't be able to tell you needed to urinate. I can't imagine just getting out of surgery, and getting urine all over your new incision.
But for females, this is trickier, obviously. They can't give us a urinal, so what
do they tell / do for females if they don't have an indwelling catheter?
Ugh, just one more detail that increases my surgery fears!