Anyone who works in surgery able to tell me if this is normal?

[Coppercreek1]

Hi all,

I had a 4 hour surgery yesterday. When I woke the nurses came and said that I had had fluids during surgery and had basically wet myself in the middle of the Operating theatre...

Queue much embarrassment from my part but the nurses were fab and helped roll me around to get me clean and dry.

However is this a normal thing to happen? I didn't realise they gave fluids and presumed if they did they would fit a catheter?! If they had mentioned giving fluids in the pre op I would have mentioned my pelvic floor isn't the strongest after 3 kids!

I need another surgery in a few months time, can I request to be cathertised to stop it happening again.

Were you dressed for the surgery? I’m wondering why they told you if not, and didn’t just clean you up discreetly while you were unaware - it must happen often and I’m wondering why they felt they needed to tell you.

I think it depends. I had surgery at 14 and didn't have a catheter.

Depends on the type of surgery, but honestly, I wonder why they weren't prepared for it, tbh.... Sounds like they might have been explaining wet clothes. You should have had a catheter if you needed that much fluids. I'd be asking why you needed so much fluids that you wet yourself, tbh.

I didn't want a catheter and wasn't given enough fluids to warrant one for my day case a few years ago. I'd rather wet myself than have an unnecessary intervention down there after previous issues.

There was no need to tell you this because presumably you were in a gown and they changed it.

Get well soon.

I've had 14 major surgeries and I've never had a catheter, and I wouldn't recommend you ask for one. It's just unnecessary if it's not needed based on what you're having done and could actually cause problems. A bit of urine is no big deal and the nurses won't bat an eye about it.

Catheters are a big source of infection - they are not used unless really needed, ie for very lengthy surgery. On the other hand it's perfectly normal to give someone IV fluids for a 4 hour operation. They need to put an IV needle in anyway to give you drugs, so it's normal to have some IV fluids going in all the time to keep the vein open.

So really, what happened to you was perfectly normal. Wetting is also quite normal under the circumstances. Nothing to worry about. The nurse was just telling you so you'd understand why they had to change your clothes .

I was dressed for surgery. However woke up and noticed that my sheets were wet and I had no underwear on as they continued the surgery and then changed the sheets etc in recovery.

I just had no idea r.e the fluids and that that was going to be given and felt quite embarrased after having to be rolled by staff etc (I'm only 28 and wanted to just get up!)

My surgeon came to see me but I was quite out of it with pain so will see if he mentions it during rounds this morning.

I'm not bothered as such just if it had been mentioned I could have highlighted that I have a weak pelvic floor and maybe that could have put those giant pads down or something to anticipate it... or I would have taken off my modibodi pants which I was told I was allowed to keep on (as I am on my period)

I am a surgeon. It is completely normal to give patients fluids during surgery to
Maintain normal blood pressure ( they have been nil by mouth and anaesthetic drugs drop bp).
We risk assess the need for a catheter. If an op is long particularly in the abdomen we will put one in. We don’t do it unnecessarily as they are an infection risk and can be uncomfortable .
If sheets are wet , the nurses change them - no big deal. We don’t put incontinence pads down - they develop ridges if not completely flat and cause pressure areas
You still have to roll the patient to remove them ( like a sheet ) so no different.
Please don’t be embarassed - what happened was very normal.

Also - we roll and change the sheets of many patients having an operation- we use antiseptic to paint the abdomen , lists of wash out fluid to dilute infection, get rid of bone fragments etc and then more to clean off blood etc from the skin . Sheets often get a little wet.

Also presumably they wanted you to understand why you were not wearing underwear when you woke up.

Did they actually say that you wet yourself in the middle of theatre?! It's completely normal for patients to be given some fluids during the course of surgery and if it goes on for a while then they often wake up bursting. It's also pretty common to pass urine as you're waking up afterwards because you often cough and if you've got a full bladder then there can be a bit of leakage. I wouldn't say it shows you've got a weak pelvic floor.

It does sound as though it could have been handled with more sensitivity though - you should have been reassured that it was no big deal and not made to feel embarrassed. Your surgeon almost certainly has no idea as they'd probably be busy with other things by this stage.

Yes it was mentioned in recovery and the way they said it made it sound like it was unusual.

I'm not normally one for getting self conscious. I've had 3 kids... midwives, nurses and doctors have seen it all.

But for some reason I found getting rolled really embarrassing not really sure why tbh she also applied some cream 'down there' as said she had noticed I was sore presumably from urine sat on the skin.

Glad to know it isn't unusual just had no idea that it isn't uncommon for people to just wet the bed in the middle of an operating theatre... though understand the risk of that seems to be less than the risk of using a catheter

I remember once a woman in a pre-op bay next to me very firmly telling the nurses she did not consent to having a catheter put in during surgery and that they weren’t to do it. They were gently trying to push her to have one, saying it was the norm. Maybe that’s the reason they were trying to convince her.

I would feel exactly the same as you if I had been told that upon waking - I’d rather not know! But I suppose they needed to explain their actions and why you weren’t wearing underwear.