Hello.

I had a radical prostatectomy that went well. The hospital stay for 3 nights was pretty uneventful. When I got home though, I had a few surprises. I understand they are pretty common events, but NO ONE ever told me these things could happen. Hopefully they happen to you, now you won't be surprised and can be prepared. The things I'm talking about are BLADDER SPASMS and CATHETER LEAKAGE.


BLADDER SPASMS.

I arrived at home around 11 AM. I was feeling OK except for the vague annoyance of the catheter. I could feel it whenever I moved, and was still a bit leery of moving around a lot. But I was ok. A little while after I got home the urge to have a bowel movement came again. Having already done this at the hospital I had no trepidation whatsoever about it. So I proceeded to the nearest bathroom and sat. Things started moving as they had in the hospital, but suddenly I had a tremendous urge to urinate...kind of like what would happen under normal, non surgery situations. I expected that I'd see a big stream of urine going down my catheter tube and into the bag, but this did not happen. Urine started coming quite forcefully AROUND the catheter tube...onto my leg, the toilet seat, the floor and the wall! And I couldn't do a thing to stop it! THIS IS SOMETHING I DID NOT EXPECT!!!! It kind of freaked me out. First thing I thought is, "...something is wrong here....my catheter must be clogged!" I cleaned up as best as I could and left the bathroom being rather shaken up.

After that, it seemed I was constantly dripping urine, blood, or some combination of the two. I was wearing just a robe, as it is hard to wear underwear with that tube sticking out, and it's hard to put pajamas or other clothing on with that tube strapped to my leg. So....I dripped on my robe. UGH. My partner went out to the store and bought some under wear protective pads...kind of like Kotex pads...but shaped for a man. We tried sticking them somewhere to catch the drips, but it didn't work. So we cut a pair of sweat pants from the waist down on one leg...slipped them on and then pinned up where we cut. That at least stopped me from dripping on my white robe.

Later that night I was sitting watching TV. I had placed a waterproof pad on the chair just in case of leaks. Suddenly....what began feeling like a little gas pain turned out to be another sudden urge to urinate...and the flood gates opened once more. Again...nothing I could do to stop it. Of course I now drenched the sweat pants, robe and pad. Again...panic set in. "Something must be wrong" I thought. "The catheter is clogged." But the bag was still getting full. I didn't know what was happening. It was about 8 PM by then...no one to call.....

So I got cleaned up and went to bed. I had a waterproof pad on the bed, but I put more pads on top of the sheet, covered it with a big towel, and slept with a towel over my genitals, just in case. I woke the next morning, and felt around and much to my delight, I was dry! But I only had a few minutes to marvel at my dryness, because once again....that sudden urge hit. Another flood! Now I'm really confused and panic stricken. I'm thinking I'm going to have to go to the doctor or hospital and get the catheter removed and replaced, or somehow roto-rootered to remove the clog that I thought for sure was there! Just then my phone rang, and it was my sister the nurse. I told her what had happend yesterday and this morning. She said it was likely a bladder spasm. She said to call my doctor, and she'd call her husband, who is a urologist, to see what the deal was.

So...I called my doctor and left word with his receptionist. I grabbed the book my brother in law suggested I read, "Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" which I highly recommend, and looked up 'bladder spasms'. My sister called me back saying that her husband confirmed that I'm probably having bladder spasms. The bladder has this strange thing inside it that it wants to get rid of. Plus it has been poked and prodded and moved around and sewn up...and is a bit annoyed at all that stuff. So....it spasms! I hung up with her, and proceeded reading about bladder spasms in the book, and found out that Motrin can help ease the spasms. Just then my doctor's office called back and said that I'm probably having spasms, and gave the same discription as my brother in law. I mentioned the Motrin, and they said that it would help. So...I took a Motrin (generic version thereof) and relaxed. That was my last bladder spasm! Now...WHY DID NO ONE SAY THIS COULD HAPPEN...OR THAT A SIMPLE PILL COULD ALLEVIATE IT????? This is why I'm writing this log...to let people know some of the things that "they" don't tell you!

CATHETER LEAKAGE.

From the time of my first bladder spasm incident on the day I got home from the hospital, I've had some degree of 'leakage' from my catheter. This was getting annoying, so I finally opted to wear diapers. I have a 32" waist, but when my partner went to get diapers for me he wisely got the L/XL size diapers that are open on each side. He figured, and rightly so, that the extra size would allow room for the slack in the catheter tube, and the open and adjustable sides would allow me to find just the right fit. They worked, and I no longer had to worry about dripping on my clothes, furniture, my leg, or what ever. The tape I pilfered from the hospital came in handy for the diapers...to supplement the sticky tabs on the diapers. It allowed me to fit them to me comfortably. I still have leakage around the catheter to this day...especially when I stand or sit. It's OK when I'm laying flat in bed.

It is VERY IMPORTANTto keep the catheter clean. Wash it off daily with soap and water...or take a shower...and then when you are dry, apply some triple antibiotic ointment to the tip of the penis and on the catheter tube. This helps keep out infection and also lubricates the tube, which does move in and out as you walk.

Good luck with your surgery and recovery.

Thanks ProstateC for the continued, very honest report of the "real world" circumstances that can develop from treatment. This type of reporting is invaluable. Good Luck with your recovery.
Leoanrd

prostateC: I wish I would have know of this site before I had operation. My surgery went well. Only thing I had was when going to the bathroom for bowel movements at the hospital/home that the urge to push gave way to pain whilst urinating. The most uncomfortable thing ever that I have experienced. No leaking problems unless someone makes me laugh. I have done the "Kegals", I did those way before I knew I had prostate cancer as I was told that this keeps the splinser (sp) muscles strong. So I am able to stop/start flow of urine. I purchased those Depends, only to not need them. I still have the unused bag in my closet. But if I had know that I was not going to recooperate quickly with erections (as this depresses me) noting that I am not on any meds for this. It just makes me think, how quick this all happened.

I dont have leakage problems now. It is 3 months past my operation. What bothers me is the urine flow being weak. it takes a long of time to fully empty the bladder. Sometimes it dribs drop by drop. I also notice having a bit of erection or engorgements many time when I pass urine. That makes it more difficult to pass. Has anyone experience this? Do you think the urine flow will improve in time?
will be thankful for any reply.

for me, there is a different sensation while urinating. the feeling is similar to that that i felt when i had an infection following my biposy. at that time i too had difficulty emptying, very weak stream, hard to push it out, some dribbles when i urinated. now the stream is strong but the sensation is one i recall. go figure.

also, i'm not sure i can rely on feedback to tell me when to urinate. i could build up more, if i was okay with relying on the feedback. the feedback is different since the surgery.

anyone else see this?

I was under the impression that removal of the prostate most always improved the urine flow immediately. That was the case with me in a very welcome and dramatic fashion. Reading had suggested that if that were not the case (or at least a continued good flow if it had been good prior to surgery), it could indicate a urethral stricture, a not uncommon complication from surgery.
However, one response indicated that he had poor flow initially, but it improved over time. If there is not a clear-cut answer that your doc can provide, there are tests that can diagnose whether there is a stricture, blockage, or some continuing regeneration of nerves.
Best of luck.

A weak stream seems contradictory once the prostate is gone. Weak stream and dribbling is usually associated with BPH (enlaged prostate). My experience post-op was just the opposite. As soon as the catheter was removed the steam was forceful and the bladder emptied faster than I remembered since childhood. Hardly ever a dribble when I'm through. Speak to your surgeon(s) about this. Sounds atypical and could be the result of scar tissue forming at the point in the bladder neck where the urethra was rejoined at the end of the sorgery. Some dilation might be all thats needed.
Bob

I found out that the dribbling improves when i manually open the tip of the urethra. The stream begins to flow steadily till it empties. Though the stream wasn't as strong as pre operation i feel less pressure on the bladder and I didn't have to try hard to empty. I also find that they was a slight erection every time I pass the penis. I am not sure why this is happening.

I was under the impression that removal of the prostate most always improved the urine flow immediately. That was the case with me in a very welcome and dramatic fashion. Reading had suggested that if that were not the case (or at least a continued good flow if it had been good prior to surgery), it could indicate a urethral stricture, a not uncommon complication from surgery.
However, one response indicated that he had poor flow initially, but it improved over time. If there is not a clear-cut answer that your doc can provide, there are tests that can diagnose whether there is a stricture, blockage, or some continuing regeneration of nerves.
Best of luck.

Fly:

I echo your comments about immediate relief of my pre-op urine flow problems. Although my uro suggested that my final pre-op DRE showed a normal sized prostate gland for my age, I believe I had a touch of BPH which gradually, over many years, contributed to less and less stream. I also, in recent years, noticed some blockage in my BMs that I believe was related to BPH. Once I joined the post-op club, those problems were history. My stream is like I was a 25 year old man and the BM problem is gone! Yes, I do currently contend with the dribbles (usually 1 and at times 2 pads per day) but that issue continues to show gradual improvement. I'll take that trade anyday! :)

Hello.

I had a radical prostatectomy that went well. The hospital stay for 3 nights was pretty uneventful. When I got home though, I had a few surprises. I understand they are pretty common events, but NO ONE ever told me these things could happen. Hopefully they happen to you, now you won't be surprised and can be prepared. The things I'm talking about are BLADDER SPASMS and CATHETER LEAKAGE.


BLADDER SPASMS.

I arrived at home around 11 AM. I was feeling OK except for the vague annoyance of the catheter. I could feel it whenever I moved, and was still a bit leery of moving around a lot. But I was ok. A little while after I got home the urge to have a bowel movement came again. Having already done this at the hospital I had no trepidation whatsoever about it. So I proceeded to the nearest bathroom and sat. Things started moving as they had in the hospital, but suddenly I had a tremendous urge to urinate...kind of like what would happen under normal, non surgery situations. I expected that I'd see a big stream of urine going down my catheter tube and into the bag, but this did not happen. Urine started coming quite forcefully AROUND the catheter tube...onto my leg, the toilet seat, the floor and the wall! And I couldn't do a thing to stop it! THIS IS SOMETHING I DID NOT EXPECT!!!! It kind of freaked me out. First thing I thought is, "...something is wrong here....my catheter must be clogged!" I cleaned up as best as I could and left the bathroom being rather shaken up.

After that, it seemed I was constantly dripping urine, blood, or some combination of the two. I was wearing just a robe, as it is hard to wear underwear with that tube sticking out, and it's hard to put pajamas or other clothing on with that tube strapped to my leg. So....I dripped on my robe. UGH. My partner went out to the store and bought some under wear protective pads...kind of like Kotex pads...but shaped for a man. We tried sticking them somewhere to catch the drips, but it didn't work. So we cut a pair of sweat pants from the waist down on one leg...slipped them on and then pinned up where we cut. That at least stopped me from dripping on my white robe.

Later that night I was sitting watching TV. I had placed a waterproof pad on the chair just in case of leaks. Suddenly....what began feeling like a little gas pain turned out to be another sudden urge to urinate...and the flood gates opened once more. Again...nothing I could do to stop it. Of course I now drenched the sweat pants, robe and pad. Again...panic set in. "Something must be wrong" I thought. "The catheter is clogged." But the bag was still getting full. I didn't know what was happening. It was about 8 PM by then...no one to call.....

So I got cleaned up and went to bed. I had a waterproof pad on the bed, but I put more pads on top of the sheet, covered it with a big towel, and slept with a towel over my genitals, just in case. I woke the next morning, and felt around and much to my delight, I was dry! But I only had a few minutes to marvel at my dryness, because once again....that sudden urge hit. Another flood! Now I'm really confused and panic stricken. I'm thinking I'm going to have to go to the doctor or hospital and get the catheter removed and replaced, or somehow roto-rootered to remove the clog that I thought for sure was there! Just then my phone rang, and it was my sister the nurse. I told her what had happend yesterday and this morning. She said it was likely a bladder spasm. She said to call my doctor, and she'd call her husband, who is a urologist, to see what the deal was.

So...I called my doctor and left word with his receptionist. I grabbed the book my brother in law suggested I read, "Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer" which I highly recommend, and looked up 'bladder spasms'. My sister called me back saying that her husband confirmed that I'm probably having bladder spasms. The bladder has this strange thing inside it that it wants to get rid of. Plus it has been poked and prodded and moved around and sewn up...and is a bit annoyed at all that stuff. So....it spasms! I hung up with her, and proceeded reading about bladder spasms in the book, and found out that Motrin can help ease the spasms. Just then my doctor's office called back and said that I'm probably having spasms, and gave the same discription as my brother in law. I mentioned the Motrin, and they said that it would help. So...I took a Motrin (generic version thereof) and relaxed. That was my last bladder spasm! Now...WHY DID NO ONE SAY THIS COULD HAPPEN...OR THAT A SIMPLE PILL COULD ALLEVIATE IT????? This is why I'm writing this log...to let people know some of the things that "they" don't tell you!

CATHETER LEAKAGE.

From the time of my first bladder spasm incident on the day I got home from the hospital, I've had some degree of 'leakage' from my catheter. This was getting annoying, so I finally opted to wear diapers. I have a 32" waist, but when my partner went to get diapers for me he wisely got the L/XL size diapers that are open on each side. He figured, and rightly so, that the extra size would allow room for the slack in the catheter tube, and the open and adjustable sides would allow me to find just the right fit. They worked, and I no longer had to worry about dripping on my clothes, furniture, my leg, or what ever. The tape I pilfered from the hospital came in handy for the diapers...to supplement the sticky tabs on the diapers. It allowed me to fit them to me comfortably. I still have leakage around the catheter to this day...especially when I stand or sit. It's OK when I'm laying flat in bed.

It is VERY IMPORTANTto keep the catheter clean. Wash it off daily with soap and water...or take a shower...and then when you are dry, apply some triple antibiotic ointment to the tip of the penis and on the catheter tube. This helps keep out infection and also lubricates the tube, which does move in and out as you walk.

Good luck with your surgery and recovery.


This is a very sad commentary regarding how informed you were by your doctor. It's a crime that you found all of this out by yourself and that the side affects of surgery were not fully explained. I was blessed to find this forum but only "after" my surgery. All of the months leading up to my procedure were filled with my own research and having a uro that made himself available to me by email, phone and in person whenever I had a question. I was kept fully informed by my uro on all of the pros and cons of surgery. After finding this forum and reading many of the posts I'm realizing that many PC patients are kept in the dark about their disease. Many are "shocked" by the post-op issues. From their posts, many were never told the complete truth about what to expect. This is sad! Our health care system is really broken! We need a Congress that's willing to fight for better health care in America. In Nov2006 we fired a whole bunch of bums in Congress and sent them home. That was a good start! Apparently they still don't get it! Aparently we need to send more of the SOBs packing! :mad:

I mentioned in a post that i was having erections during emptying the bladder. the urine flow gets weakes and almost stops when this happen. No one seems to have had this experiece. It almost equal to the result i get with Viagra 50. I just don't understand why this is happening only to me and not to anyone here.

The erections i was having during the passing urine isn't there anymore. Sometimes that happens slightly. I suspect that the urethra had been blocked a bit somehow and the pressure from the bladder was causing this problem. the pattern of the urine flow is also changing , but still not very strong.

how much water you are drinking? do you drink less during the night? i drink about 1.5ltrs a day.. drink frequently but with small sips. Could it be the reason i have a weak urine flow? Anyone has any idea?

does anyone have pain in the genital area specially after passing urine? i am 4 months post surgery. i feel the pain and lasts for about half and hour. it doesn't happen every time. a few times every week. if this happen to anyone please let me know what you do to reduce the pain. does this pain goes in time?

does anyone have pain in the genital area specially after passing urine? i am 4 months post surgery. i feel the pain and lasts for about half and hour. it doesn't happen every time. a few times every week. if this happen to anyone please let me know what you do to reduce the pain. does this pain goes in time?

I'm 19 weeks post da Vinci. Just had my 2nd post-op PSA consultation with my uro. During our visit he was very interested about any pain I may be having. I'm not having any pain and I told him so. He made it a point to tell me more than once that if I were to experience any sort of pain in the region of the incisions or in the region of the surgery, to contact him immediately!

If I were you, I'd call for an appointment. :)

Phantom50:
I am not a urologist, but this combination of symptoms including pain after urination, weak flow, and erection during urination suggests some sort of partial urethral obstruction or blockage. I would definitely ask your urologist about this. Good luck.

my urologist is from overseas. I have to fly to meet him which is costly. I emailed about the pain and the partial blockage. he said he could do the scope if it is needed. but now the blockage seems getting better and flow is also good. I will email again about the pain. The first time i told him about the pain he said just to take things easy. and not to worry.