Urinary Problems after Surgery
Frederick R. Jelovsek MD
Frequency and urgency after laparoscopy for fibroids
I had a laparoscopy and my gyn removed endometriosis off the ovaries and left the fibroid tumors. Ever since then, I've been urinating non-stop.
I have pain right before urination but not during urination. I can sleep during the night, through the night, but when I get up it's head for the bathroom all day long for me. My gyn stated that the fibroid was small back in Aug 2 years ago. An 1/8 of an inch. Please tell me what size do they have to be in order to cause bladder problems?
I don't know that there is a critical size, but most anterior wall fibroids less than 2 cm. (about one inch) that I have seen, don't give symptoms. They usually have to be at least about 2 cm. or more to be indenting a normal bladder enough to cause urgency or decrease bladder volume and cause frequency.
A fibroid on the posterior wall of the uterus would not give any bladder symptoms. Keep in mind that endometriosis can often give bladder symptoms such as pain on initiation of voiding or urgency symptoms from causing bladder contractions.
It is most likely that you either have a bladder infection from the catheterization at the time of surgery or you are having bladder irritation from one of the laparoscopic puncture sites just above the bladder.
You will need a urinalysis to see if there is infection. Be sure to see your doctor right away to see if you need any antibiotic or if you should just wait to see if this gets better on its own.
I had a hysterectomy about six months ago and have recently had a problem with bladder control. If I wait too long and hold my urine, I must run and hope to get to a restroom ASAP or I have leakage. Is this a common problem after hysterectomy?
It sounds like you may have a bladder urgency problem which, if it just recently started, is not related to the hysterectomy. Rather it is the new development of "overactive" or urge incontinence or a plain old urinary tract infection.
Assuming you do not have a urinary tract infection, the cause of the bladder muscle showing urgency is unknown. This is not a common problem at all this far out from surgery. You need to be checked first for a urine infection.
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4 weeks ago, I had a total vaginal hysterectomy with cystocele and rectocele repair. It was explained to me that they lifted my bladder and sutured it as well as did extensive work on my vaginal walls by tieing them up into my buttock. After 2 days in hospital, I went home with a catheter. One week later, was still unable to urinate so catheter remained. Two weeks after surgery, still could not urnite but they did remove regular cath and sent me home to use an in and out cath. That evening, I was able to go on my own, but still had to cath some. Now, 4 weeks later, I am going on my own, but have to go every couple hours because if I wait too long I can't go at all. So that seems to be getting better as time goes by but now I have developed a new problem ... i am leaking urine when I sit or even bend over slightly. I have been so frustrated because I never expected any of this after surgery. Will this "leaking" that I am have get better over time? I am so tired of having to wear a pad 24/7.