Steve O Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Before reading be forewarned, this is not for the faint of heart. So I had kidney surgery Tuesday to insert a stent to correct a condition I've had since birth but takes several decades (in my case almost 6) for symptoms to develop (note how the surgery was strategically scheduled before an away game so that I'll be up and around for next weeks home game). Everything went as smooth as can be hoped for considering the surgeon spent over two hours inserting a foreign object through my penis. When it came time to remove the catheter the day after the surgery, I was of course nervous. The nurse told me to relax, this is so simple she is going to let her student that was shadowing her that day remove it. While the process was indeed quick, it was anything but painless. Felt like my stomach was removed through that tiny opening in 1.5 seconds. Might as well have tied one end of a string to the catheter, the other end to a door knob, and slammed the door shut myself. Now it is time to rate my experience in my recent hospital stay. All the nurses and technicians were great, very kind, caring, and good natured. Before I give a blanket everything was great evaluation, just wondering if anyone has had a less dramatic catheter removal experience than I had? Or is the process equally as dramatic regardless if a skilled surgeon removes it or a first day nursing student?
Beerball Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Yeah, painful & lasted days for me whenever I needed to use the equipment.
B-Man Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 I think it depends on where your surgery was. The catheter removal after my broken leg surgery wasn't too bad, but the removal after my Prostate surgery was just the most pain I have ever felt. .
Steve O Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 Yeah, painful & lasted days for me whenever I needed to use the equipment. Equipment use was painless after the first couple leaks, guess I'm lucky. I think it depends on where your surgery was. The catheter removal after my broken leg surgery wasn't too bad, but the removal after my Prostate surgery was just the most pain I have ever felt. . This is the kind of input I'm looking for. Did a Dr remove after your broken leg and someone less experienced after your prostrate surgery? Should a student be doing the removal?
B-Man Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 Equipment use was painless after the first couple leaks, guess I'm lucky. This is the kind of input I'm looking for. Did a Dr remove after your broken leg and someone less experienced after your prostrate surgery? Should a student be doing the removal? No doctor, the nurse did it both times. That is pretty standard. Students can do it (under supervision) but as a patient you could always refuse to allow the student to do it. Actually I am a Registered Nurse and have inserted and removed thousands of catheters, most of the time it was relatively painless (at least from my end) but it seems that any type of genitourinary surgery makes it much worse.
boyst Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 this sounds awful. i am not a preying man but will pray for you.
Steve O Posted October 11, 2015 Author Posted October 11, 2015 No doctor, the nurse did it both times. That is pretty standard. Students can do it (under supervision) but as a patient you could always refuse to allow the student to do it. Actually I am a Registered Nurse and have inserted and removed thousands of catheters, most of the time it was relatively painless (at least from my end) but it seems that any type of genitourinary surgery makes it much worse. Thanks for the professional insight B-Man. Sounds like quick was the best I could hope for, painless was out of the question. At least I was still out during the insertion process, which I hear is much worse. I was given 8 hours to pee on my own or a cat would be re-inserted, made it with 7 hours to spare. I'll give the entire team a stellar evaluation. this sounds awful. i am not a preying man but will pray for you. Appreciate it.
Doc Posted October 11, 2015 Posted October 11, 2015 It's never painless. It's even worse when you removed it with the balloon inflated.
shrader Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 It's never painless. It's even worse when you removed it with the balloon inflated. I'm picturing Lou in Hot Tub Time Machine.
Steve O Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 It's never painless. It's even worse when you removed it with the balloon inflated. Speaking of even worse, just found out that the stent removal will be done in the office. It will require both insertion and removal of catheter without anything for pain.
plenzmd1 Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Speaking of even worse, just found out that the stent removal will be done in the office. It will require both insertion and removal of catheter without anything for pain. Feel for you Steve....why nothing for the pain? BTW, my Dad was self inserting and using a catheter close to daily once he hit like 80. Died at 84....somehow he got used to it!
LeviF Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Mine wasn't painless either and it hurt for a few days when used, despite the nurse removing it being a 20-year veteran in the field who had removed hundreds, if not thousands, of them in the past. She also claimed it would be painless. B word.
BuffaloBill Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Mine wasn't painless either and it hurt for a few days when used, despite the nurse removing it being a 20-year veteran in the field who had removed hundreds, if not thousands, of them in the past. She also claimed it would be painless. B word. Would you rather have said its going to hurt?
Doc Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Mine wasn't painless either and it hurt for a few days when used, despite the nurse removing it being a 20-year veteran in the field who had removed hundreds, if not thousands, of them in the past. She also claimed it would be painless. B word. She probably meant for her.
LeviF Posted October 12, 2015 Posted October 12, 2015 Would you rather have said its going to hurt? To be honest, yeah. Maybe that's just me. She probably meant for her.
Steve O Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 Feel for you Steve....why nothing for the pain? BTW, my Dad was self inserting and using a catheter close to daily once he hit like 80. Died at 84....somehow he got used to it! While I wasn't told directly there would be nothing for the pain, my brother (an LPN) told me that what the Dr. meant when he said the stent removal would take place in the office is that there would be nothing for the pain. I'm still holding out hope that there will be. Your Dad was one tough old man.
Recommended Posts