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I have the same fear. Too many bad experiences with catheters. When I was in the hospital for blood clots, I had several catheters put in during a month long stay. One, they forgot to inflate the balloon and it came right out and they had to put in a new one. When I had my second child, the put the catheter in after I was on the table and couldn't feel anything. I was so happy about that. Not too happy that two men were hanging out by my lady bits. Haha. During my third pregnancy, I was having contractions and went to the er. While in my little room, I could hear the ladies at the Nurse's station saying that they didn't meet their quota of catheters. I didn't even know that was a thing. I had gotten up to go to the restroom once, but when I had to get up again, the nurse said they HAD to put in a catheter so that I could be monitored better. I hated being lied to. Then at the csection, they put the catheter in beforehand when I could still feel it.

I need to ask my doctor if I'll have to have one. I sure hope not. It is one of my biggest worries about surgery too.

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I had bypass 10/24. They put the cath in once I was out and taking it out was a non issue. Didn't feel a thing. Only in for 24 hours.

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No catheter for my op. I can't think of a reason they would for a 90min procedure? Particularly when mobilising is so important.

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Thankfully, I didn't have to have one. (And I did have that worry before the day of surgery!)

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This probably seems childish and weird to some people, but I am extremely afraid of catheters. I am in the process of exploring surgery options and talking to my doctor and I am hoping to get a sleeve. I was reading about recovery, etc on a website and it came up that they will administer a catheter for surgery... I am not at all nervous about having 80% of my stomach removed and dealing with the recovery, but the idea of getting a catheter makes me want to cancel the entire thing... When I was in labor with my daughter, I was panicking on the way to the hospital because I knew they were going to cath me. Not even worried about the fact that I was about to push a child out of my lady parts or have a needle shoved in my back... worrying about the catheter. Luckily when I got there they told me they'd do it after I got my epidural so I wouldn't feel it (Thank God!). Do you think my doctor would do the catheter after they put me to sleep for the surgery?

They usually put catheters in after you're under anesthesia. Getting it out post-surgery isn't painful, just pressure.

(Also terrified of catheters!)

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Not childish at all! I was in a car accident five years ago with some serious trauma to my bladder (and that was the least of my worries!) Basically, they wouldn't let me go home until I could pee independently. So they pumped me full of fluids and had me try to pee every six hours and when I couldn't, they gave me a catheter every SIX HOURS. For five days. It was awful, and this didn't cross my mind that it would be a surgery related thing, until I read this!

Definitely check with your doc, and share your concerns! I will be doing that with mine! :)

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Definitely ask your surgeon if she/he routinely places urinary catheters. Many docs don't use them anymore for shorter procedures like VSG...the risk of introducing infection is high enough that it's not always considered worthwhile. And you can always request that no catheter be placed, it's a perfectly reasonable request. Post-op, you'll have a timeline in which you'll need to produce urine but it was no problem for me and isn't for most patients. Good luck!

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I had one, placed after being out. While I was waking up in recovery I told her I had to pee and she said "Go ahead, you have a catheter in" I had no idea, they pulled it out after I told them I couldn't go Didn't feel anything.

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Ive had major surgery twice involving a cath. I fear them too. I had a cath with my sleeve surgery and I actually wasn't expecting it. But I was glad in the end because I was in considerable pain despite strong pain medication and getting in and out if bed to potty would have been a nightmare!!!

They inserted it when I was anesthetized in these surgeries and with the sleeve, they removed it discreetly and without discomfort the following morning.

I'm sure, like everyone else said, you can discuss your fear with the surgeon or surgical nurse and make a plan in advance

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I had one that was placed after I was asleep and removed later in the day after I was awake......easy peeesie...haha get it?

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

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