Advice about post-op issues - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

marydiv · 10-27-2007, 09:09 AM

Hello

My dad had surgery on the cervical neck on Wed. This board has helped me tremendously before his surgery understanding many things and I am thankful to have been able to access this info.

I have a question for his post-op. My dad had a catheter in for about the last 3 to 4 weeks. Now they removed it yesterday as they want to encourage him to go on his own. (By the way, he is 79 yrs old). Obviously, since his bladder hasn't had to do the job for a while, it has become very sluggish. He can feel his bladder is full but is unable to empty it and so they are having to empty it for him with an in/out catheter. Does anyone have any input on this, will his bladder strengthen again? Is there anything we can do to help it along.

Mary

feelbad · 10-27-2007, 09:18 AM

sorry about your dad.just wondering tho,was his bladder issue a symptom of the spinal problem or just a seperate issue unrelated to it?if not actually related to it,it could have a few different factors workinghere.one,his age,two,what you already stated about it being sluggish becasue his muscle control has not had to kick in and work on its own for quite some time.any muscle that is not being used will start to atrophy even the day after it stops being used.thats just what happens with muscle disuse.it could take some time and excercises to be able to regain that control back.but if he doesn't have actual bldder problems of some sort,it should eventually come back over time.it will just take time and excercising the muscles again.hopefully things will get better soon.i hope this helps.marcia

marydiv · 10-27-2007, 09:25 AM

Hi,
Thanks for the quick reply. My dad had some problems with emptying his bladder before the surgery. He has had urgency issues, but neuro also thought that the neck issues may have been contributing to this. They placed a catheter in a few weeks ago because as his condition (pre-op) was deteriorating so quickly, and he basically could not stand or move on his own etc., it became the best solution since getting him to void was difficult and he was not emptying completely either.

PNo · 10-27-2007, 10:22 PM

Having a cath that long can lead to some swelling. Has your dad been screened for prostate problems? He is in the age group that you could expect some prostate probs. Even an enlarged prostate can also cause empyting and urgency symptoms. This should be checked.

smarty1111 · 10-27-2007, 10:25 PM

I am worried! I will be 21 soon and I have two impacted wisdom teeth to be pulled on my upper jaw. People have told me that if the surgery goes wrong you can get nerv damage. Does that mean you won't be able to smile? Please let me know. Thanks for your time.