I had nipple sparing, skin sparing bi lat mastectomy with expanders beginning Oct last year, after battling necrosis and seroma in both for 12 weeks my p.s decided to remove expanders. Last week he decided he would go for implants about April time as there is enough skin to accommodate implant as he put 200cc’s in at the time of surgery and expanders have done there job… He will do some pocket work, insert implants and do breast lift to both, he said this surgery will take 3-4 hours. I know this sounds like a silly question but is it a possibility that I will need to have a urine catheter for this length of surgery, this is one of the things that bothered me most about the first surgery, did not need one for second as was only short surgery, sorry if this sounds stupid!!
Hi sammyjo,
Not a silly question but I have never ever heard of anyone having a urine catheter for breast surgery :{
Six weeks ago I had breast reconstruction, an LD flap.
The op lasted three hours approximately, and although I was advised at the pre-op assessment that I would not need to be catheterized, when I woke up from the op in intensive care I looked down my gown to inspect my new cleavage and saw that my knickers (which I had been told to keep on) were in a plastic bag on my tum and there was a catheter tube coming out of my nether regions!
In hindsight, it was a sensible thing to do because it meant I could just take it easy for the rest of that day and overnight and not bother myself having to get out of bed to go to the toilet. It was taken out the following day, quite painlessly.
Thanks for you response ladies, I thought maybe it depended on the length of surgery. When I had mastectomy I was catheterized but surgery was 6 hours long, second surgery was only 1.30hrs so was not just thought as next surgery will about 4 hours maybe there was a chance I would be, here’s hoping I will not.