Can anyone tell me why some surgeons use a drain and/or catheter for the sleeve surgery and some do not? I'm looking at a surgeon who does use either and I'm wondering if I should be concerned that he does not. Thanks!

Great question...I would really like to avoid a catheter if possible. I've had gal bladder surgery before and did not require one...

Can anyone tell me why some surgeons use a drain and/or catheter for the sleeve surgery and some do not? I'm looking at a surgeon who does use either and I'm wondering if I should be concerned that he does not. Thanks!

You need the drain to get rid of excess fluid in your abdomen from the surgery. My surgeon doesn't do urinary catheters anymore, and most shouldn't due to the risk of infection. The abdominal drain is needed. I just had mine removed today, day 8 post op.

Sent from my SM-N920V using BariatricPal mobile app

It's just a personal preference of the surgeon based upon his experiences, just as some do pre-op diets and some don't, and some progress their patients more rapidly post-op than others. Mine didn't do any drains but did use a catheter, which actually was somewhat more comfortable the first day post op as it relieved (so to speak) any urgency in having to get up to go to the bathroom, I suspect that my doc's use of them (if he still does,) is based upon his normal practice of doing much longer and more involved bariatric procedures than the sleeve, and it just carried over to his sleeve patients.

Based upon the variance in practices on the drains, it seems like this surgery is marginal in its need for it as they usually aren't doing that much cutting in there, When you get into plastics you will get drains all over as there is a lot more trauma produced.

Personally, I would be more inclined to avoid docs who do multi-week liquid pre-op diets than those who use drains or catheters.

I had a drain but no catheter.. there was quite a lot of fluid the first day that the drain caught.. if they don't use a drain I would wonder how they get the fluid out.. just patiently suction it out? Delegate that to someone else?

I peed shortly after I began walking around, so around 5 hours after waking up from surgery. It was extremely difficult at first since I wasn't getting much help from my muscles, and I certainly could not pee standing up for a few days. However..

The effect seemed more like what happens if you try and pee within a minute or two after ejaculation.. just takes concentration/relaxation and adjusting ones seating position

I'm actually quite happy I did not have a catheter. They would have put one in if I hadn't peed during my stay, and probably would have probably wanted me to stay a second night.

I had both.

Catheter is mostly used here as you can't just run off the bed and reach the toilet due to obvious reasons so catheter was in 24hrs then a commode for first pee to measure then I walked to the lol each time after than from day 1 post op.

The drain IMHO was the worst bit as it catches on everything and isn't comfy to lie on. It's just a tiny wee bag and the tubing is inside your. Mine was taken out day 1 post op by my nurse in HDU and it came out really easy just felt very weird. 90% of my pain was gone after removing as it was lying across organs and irritating them.

If you get them it's for a reason, enjoy the experience and I never got a UTI afterwards.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using BariatricPal mobile app

I had my sleeve, my gall bladder out and a hernia repair at the same time and didn't have a catheter or a drain. I was gotten out of bed in the recovery room right after the surgery to go to the bathroom and I was up very frequently there after. My Iv was going at 150 cc an hour the whole time I was in the hospital. I had no issues not having the catheter or drain. What I didn't ask is if I had a catheter in the OR and perhaps it was taken out before I left the OR, that is possible.

Not having the catheter gets you up and out of bed more frequently which is a good thing

My surgeon uses a drain on some patients, no drain on others. I didn't have one. No catheter either. I was so dehydrated going into surgery that I barely had to pee in the hospital at all.

I was sleeved 3/15 and my surgeon said if I woke up with a drain then it would mean something went wrong in surgery. They don't do either unless needed.

When i got operated they didn't use the catheter and seriously it is the last thing i wanted them to do