www.incontinentsupport.org

I will be having knee replacement surgery several months from now. I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has had this procedure. Did your physician feel that a diaper was a dangerous possible source of wound infection? Or were you allowed to continue using a diaper in the period immediately following the surgery?

I suspect this will depend on the nature of the operation. A keyhole procedure will not be a problem but a longer operation with a bit longer recovery might mean you will be catheterised for a couple of days. After that I can't see you would have any problems.

Which country are you, by the way? It can make a difference.

I just had an Acl reconstructive surgery in December and wore diapers the whole time with out an issue of infection. The only issue I had and was more personal for the first few days I need help changing cause when I change laying down I arch my back kind of a bridge motion not to be grafic but do to recent back surgery and unable to put weight on the knee I needed a little help. The only thing I would suggest is be an advocate for yourself when you go for preop test explain you condition to the dr or nurse and simply explain or what I did was Listen I understand for surgery you may need to cath me to monitor my output but I have a neurogenic bladder and I want it out by the time I wake up. I also explained the increased risk assc. with caths and I never had an infection with wearing diapers. They were understanding my surgery was 4hrs and they never cathed me and left me in my diaper. The only other thing I would suggest is unless you have a hospital that buys good diapers bring your own if your staying for any lenth of time. Most hospitals around here has crappy kendall wings or there is one that has the attends poly but either way after surgery I rather be in my own and know I can get 3-5 hrs without changing. Good luck with your surgery and hope this helps.

I am currently in the hospital recovering from a knee replacement. The Foley is a better thing, and it will be your anesthesiologist who helps you with that decision. I have a femoral block to help manage pain, and it is a fantastic thing to have. But it won't work under a diaper. Fortunately for me, my ic has tamed down for now.

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- Tom

Good to hear wetdad, have a speedy, but thorough recovery... amazing what they can do now-a-days! Puffy

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Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995

Agreed. The Foley was better. I had hip replacement and diapering was not possible due to the possibility of surgical site contamination/infection. On day two, the Foley was removed and I was back to my regular routine.

Nevertheless, discuss it with both your orthopedic surgeon and anesthesiologist. And if you can get your incon specialist to be involved, then all the better.

With all the drugs I'm taking, my bowel and bladder rhythms have been greatly upset. Definitely blocked up, but has anyone ever had a hard time peeing? I suppose I should be happy that I'm not leaking at random moments right now, but I do really strain to pee.

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- Tom

I've been having a *really* hard time peeing ever since my Botox injection. I wrote about that in a different post, I think.

It's annoying, since I still need to go just as frequently -- in fact, more frequently than I did when I was on the Enablex. But peeing has now become this lengthy process that requires sitting down, because with how hard I have to push, it might involve a bowel movement as well

Peeing in a bottle in the car (which has always been my backstop, if I'm driving somewhere and not wearing a diaper) has also become problematic, because if I strain hard enough to pee, I'm also straining hard enough to poop, which is not something one wants to do if one is in one's car trying to pee in a bottle.

Hopefully the Botox will wear off soon and I can go back to the Enablex...!

I feel your pain! Sorry!!!

Also -- WetDad -- I'm curious... if you don't mind me asking, what medications *are* you on, at the moment? I'm wondering if they're ones I've already tried or if I could learn something from your list.

Before: Venlafaxine & Losartin

Now add: Celebrex, hydromorphone, warfarine

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- Tom