How to deal with catheter while recovering after prostate surgery?

Posted by soli @soli, Jul 6 12:08pm

I plan to have prostate surgery relatively soon. Onc big concern I have is how to deal with the cathether for 7 to 10 days. I live alone so I am thinking of hiring a private nurse for one hour in the morning , and one hour late afternoon to help me change from night bag to leg bag in the morning, and from day bag to night bag in the afternoon. An experienced nurse will know how to do it in a sanitary way to avoid infection. An alternative I am thinking is always keeping the night bag, which has pluses, but too bulky to drag 24 hours. Any suggestions?

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Profile picture for rlpostrp @rlpostrp

I would say that you shouldn't need a nurse. You'll be laid up recovery for a minimum of 5 days, more like the full ten days that the catheter is in you. You'll walk around your house, etc., but you won't be going to work or driving (based on my experience). I had the single incision DaVinci robotic assisted method RP, and I felt assaulted and pummeled below my navel. I had no "ability" (forget "desire") to move around too much.
I found the smaller leg-strapped bag unnecessary and annoying. If you are forced to go out in public, perhaps an early return to work, then yes, you'll need that bag. It was annoying because I had to remember to check it/empty it every one to two hours (they fill fast). And...you feel the weight of it increasing as it fills hanging off your leg.
I was fortunate in that I am retired, so I just laid and walked around my house with the larger bag. The larger bag should have a plastic "hanger" hook device. I hung it off the side of my bed at night on my bed frame. I am not an active sleeper, so I never felt a tug or had issues. The inflated balloon inside your bladder will prevent the catheter from falling out or being pulled out. In terms of emptying the catheter, or changing back and forth between the smaller one, you just need to have an organized bathroom counter top: I'd have two alcohol prep packs already open and laying on top of the pouch they came in. I'd have the catheter to be swapped for, out and ready. I would stand over the toilet and open the stop-cock with the one I had connected, let it drain to empty, and then shut the stock-cock. Then I'd walk to my bathroom counter, pull the tip connector out to remove the now-empty catheter, and then use the readied alcohol prep pack pad to swab and connect the other one. Once I decided to use only the larger catheter bag, I still cleaned the tip once daily. And...
One extra bit of advice: When the nurse assistant pulled and removed my catheter after 11 days (a momentary big ouch), she wanted to leave the VERY STICKY ~3" x 4" adhesive pad that secured the catheter tubing from my penis to my thigh. She said that they "find that the patient does a better job removing it at their pace than they can." I learned why when I went home. The adhesive on that pad is like epoxy or Gorilla glue. I gently, slowly started to peel that adhesive pad off my inner left thigh. It was a struggle. It was very painful, and it took a lot of skin with it. I now have a permanent, very visible red scar about 1" x 1/2" in one area where it just would not peel off. I had to more assertively pull, and it took a lot of skin with it. Good luck.

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Four days after surgery, I drove to clients offices and worked on computer problems they had. I didn’t take any time off after that, But the work I did wasn’t strenuous.

I was 62 at the time and running a computer consulting company.

There really was no pain after the fourth day for me, a little Tylenol was all I needed.

Well, I’m getting at Is that results may vary.

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Profile picture for rlpostrp @rlpostrp

Hey again,
Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to add that my organized bathroom countertop was nothing formal. It was just like when you prepare to cook a meal: you get your ingredients out and organize the kitchen counter with them. It was always quick: my alcohol prep packs were in a box on the counter or at times in a drawer. I just pulled two out, tore them open and pulled them out laying them on top of the package they had been in. After emptying my catheter bag in the toilet, I'd walk to the bathroom counter, use one alcohol prep pack to clean the disconnected end of that catheter bag, and the other prep pack to clean the opening of the smaller leg-strapped bag, or just the opening of the penile catheter orifice waiting attachment of the new bag, Simple...no big deal. I just did it that way to minimize the time that the catheter attachment tip was exposed to the air.

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It makes a lot of sense to have a designated space for this to handle the job efficiently and with miniminal chance of cross-contamination.

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On a separate but related topic, it is a bit embarassing, but I would ask anyway since this is great community of people willing to share their experiences honeslty to help others. Maybe I am overthinking it - again - but I am wondering if the cathether gets in the way when one sits down on the toilet for bowel movement. When I sit down on a toilet and imagine the cathether sticking out, it appears to me it will get tangled up or become an obstacle and possibly yank and irritate the tip of the penis. Are there any tricks to navigate this without the cathether getting in the way? Or is this yet a non-issue I am just worrying about?

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Profile picture for soli @soli

On a separate but related topic, it is a bit embarassing, but I would ask anyway since this is great community of people willing to share their experiences honeslty to help others. Maybe I am overthinking it - again - but I am wondering if the cathether gets in the way when one sits down on the toilet for bowel movement. When I sit down on a toilet and imagine the cathether sticking out, it appears to me it will get tangled up or become an obstacle and possibly yank and irritate the tip of the penis. Are there any tricks to navigate this without the cathether getting in the way? Or is this yet a non-issue I am just worrying about?

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This is not an issue. The tubing just sticks out the front of the bowl. I never even noticed it was an issue and I had the thing in for two weeks.

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Good to know. Thanks. I stop worrying.

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If you can afford it, I think having a nurse helping the first few days after surgery is a great idea, Everyone reacts differently, but I can tell you you that the way the catheter is placed and attached it will not come out unless you pull it like if you try to start a lawnmower 😊. I got my catheter only for 5 days, and my only complaint was not with the catheter itself, but what the nurse did before removing it, she connected the end that was attached to the bag to a 60cc syringe full of saline , then proceeded to fill out my bladder to test for leakage, and flush the urethra, I am telling you, I saw stars,it was like peeling on reverse.
But at the end she un-inflated the ball that was holding the catheter inside de penis-urethra conection
and I felt NOTHING when the catheter was out , I started peeing by gravity inside a urine collection container , then right after I was peeing with more control, until I was completely empty, What a relief!!!! I used a men diaper to go home from the doctors office, but no leaks.
Best of luck, and let us know how things go with you🙏🏻

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Profile picture for oskarpr @oskarpr

If you can afford it, I think having a nurse helping the first few days after surgery is a great idea, Everyone reacts differently, but I can tell you you that the way the catheter is placed and attached it will not come out unless you pull it like if you try to start a lawnmower 😊. I got my catheter only for 5 days, and my only complaint was not with the catheter itself, but what the nurse did before removing it, she connected the end that was attached to the bag to a 60cc syringe full of saline , then proceeded to fill out my bladder to test for leakage, and flush the urethra, I am telling you, I saw stars,it was like peeling on reverse.
But at the end she un-inflated the ball that was holding the catheter inside de penis-urethra conection
and I felt NOTHING when the catheter was out , I started peeing by gravity inside a urine collection container , then right after I was peeing with more control, until I was completely empty, What a relief!!!! I used a men diaper to go home from the doctors office, but no leaks.
Best of luck, and let us know how things go with you🙏🏻

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Thanks for sharing. It helps me better understand what ot expect and how to prepare.

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After the surgery I am now have the bag. After one day in ICU, I walked. The leg bag is very convenient. I go to toilet myself, put the leg on the closest, European. There is button, press it, the urine go out, press button opsite side to close. It is very easy. It requires no one's help.

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Thanks @josephtj . It is very helpful. Given all the responses I have received and videos I have watched , I have changed my mind about the necessity of hiring a nurse to help me change bags. And I plan to do it by following all the instructions to avoid infection.

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Hi @josephtj :

In re-reading your response I have a qustion about your comment: " I go to toilet myself, put the leg on the closest, European." Could you elaborate, specially about the comment of putting the leg on the closet, European?

Thanks,

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