Hi all! So, I am due for sleeving next Friday. At my final pre-op yesterday, the Physician's Assistant told me that they would be catheterizing me after I'm knocked out, and that they would take it out the next day. I guess I looked uncomfortable about that (no special reason - I've just never had it happen before) and she told me that it really was up to me whether or not to do it. She acknowledged that it can be uncomfortable, especially for men, but said it makes things easier so you don't need to be getting up to use the bathroom. So, I'm curious: thoughts on what to do? Did you get a urinary catheter? Did it interfere with efforts to walk the day of surgery? If you didn't get one, was it very hard to get up and use the bathroom when you needed to? I very much appreciate your thoughts!

-SP

I did not. I was worried at first, but ended up glad, as it got me up walking really soon after surgery.

This topic made me chuckle - I just couldn't help it.

The invasive (and/or uncomfortable) things that women undergo throughout our entire lives, such as pap smears, vaginal childbirth, C-sections, colposcopy, miscarriages, mammograms...

I'm trying hard to be sympathetic at the thought of a man having a tube inserted into his penis. I'm trying. Really I am.

Thank heavens for the cath, I could hardly make it out of bed the first day.

i was super nervous when I found out about the catheter too as I had never had one. Ended up being the best thing. it wasn't uncomfortable at all and made it less painful as I didn't have to get up to pee all the time that first day of surgery. they took it out he next day.

No catheter for me - I needed to get up and walk around, even though I had crippling nausea for the first sixish hours and would dry heave every time I put my head up. But then they put a little anti nausea mix in with my pain meds and I was golden. The point is - if you at all can, you want to be up and moving (my opinion).

I had a catheter and they didn't pull it until the next morning. I walked 3 or 4 times during the night with the catheter and it was no big deal. I think I preferred having the catheter while I was still groggy. Initially it took me a long time to arrange myself and get out of bed. I think that for that first night I might not have woken up in time and then be able to get up quick enough to pee without having an accident. That being said I did have issues prior to surgery with urinary urgency. When I have to go I have to go NOW.

The only uncomfortable part was making sure things were lined up correctly to get back in bed, if not it would tug and be a little bit uncomfortable. Walking with it wasn't a problem. I walked 1/4 mile the second time they had me up after surgery.

No catheter here. I understand why the doctor would want one, other than during surgery (to keep the bladder out of the way, during surgery). But afterwards he would want you up and walking. That being said, I have had a catheter many times and it is not a big deal. Not painful, nothing to worry about.

I have had catheters put in for my C-sections, when I'd already had the spinal block, so no feeling there. They stayed in usually for 24 hours after surgery and I was able to walk with them just fine. I've also had catheters put in fully awake and feeling and while not painful, it's something I'd prefer to avoid. One of mine was after vaginal childbirth when I didn't feel any sense of needing to urinate - my bladder was huge and I couldn't go, so they catheterized me then, after the epidural had all worn off. I'd rather not repeat that after WLS so I don't mind having one and I will still get up frequently to walk.

Today is the first day home from the hospital from sleeve surgery. I was not catheterized during surgery. 14 hours post op, I still was unable to pee, despite my best efforts and every "trick" in the book. Although I felt no pressure or sense of urgency, after a bladder scan, it was determined I had 400 cc of urine in my bladder. To my dismay, they did an "in and out' cath. It did the job, but it was a bit uncomfortable. It still took several hours of "dribbling" before I was actually able to fully go on my own. They upped up my IV Fluid and that seemed to help. I walked A LOT, but that did't seem to help.

They took mine out second day post-op. I was able to pee, but it took a lot of muscular coaxing to get the job done. It was like my bladder was still asleep and not ready to wake up yet. After about a week, I did not have to work at it so much. I was one of those post-menopausal women who had to pee suddenly and woke up frequently during the night to pee. By the time I lost the first thirty pounds, that problem totally disappeared.

While there may be a lot of opinions regarding catheters, for this surgery, I would highly recommend NOT having one. It is not medically indicated and just increases the risk of infection.

I had one and also one with my 3 c-sections. Honestly not bad at all (I got them put in after being knocked out or numbed). Them coming out isn't painful at all either but with that said I hated walking around with it in (just annoying having the bag hang around), so I would opt for it to be taken out asap so I could move around without it.