general anesthesia needs to use a catheter to help urinate ?

efang622 · 06-29-2008, 04:53 PM

I would like to know if doing a surgery under general anesthesia, patient will be put a tube ( call catheter?) to help to urinate ? because it is very uncomfortable and pain for a man, I used once about 20 years ago which gave to me a image I can't forget. Maybe I need to do a surgery soon so I put my question here because I don’t know which board I can put.

Thanks!

Misty800 · 06-29-2008, 05:36 PM

I do not know for sure, but, I feel sure it will depend on type of surgery you will have and how long before the bladder will be able to empty on it's own.

You certainly do not want urine to back up into your kidneys due to not having a catheter if one is really needed.

Catheters are not comfortable for females either, we just suffer the process for better health like men do when needed.

efang622 · 07-05-2008, 06:04 PM

thanks!
Right now question is,
if any one who had general anesthesia's experience
can tell me, if patient is inserted catheter before anesthesia or after anesthesia ?

Thanks!

mainstrike · 07-06-2008, 12:48 AM

I just had surgery so I feel for your nervousness. Most of the time they put it in after you're knocked out but just make sure you request it from every nurse or doctor that you see in pre-op or in the OR. You can also request to have it taken out before you wake up. That's what I did and I can honestly say I didn't feel any pain or anything from it.

efang622 · 07-06-2008, 10:40 AM

Thank you so much for letting me know and you are that person who can exactly answers my question.
You experience lets me feel I can relax now, but a surgery instruction said : An IV and the catheter are likely to still be in place.( after waking up) I don’t know if there are a reason has to do that? If some patients are not able to control bladder for a while after waking up?
But your experience tells me that taking it before waking up is absolute OK.
There is one thing I never know but maybe you know that is when a we do an endoscope or a colonoscopy, we are put sleep for 15 or 20 minutes, it is called “ sedation” but looks like no big different with general anesthesia, sedation never needs to be put catheter but GA does. Why? Some GA only take half hour or one hour, it is no big different with sedation for surgery time.

Thanks again for your grate help!