Useful Post Surgery Items

USEFUL ITEMS POST PROSTATECTOMY SURGERY

 These are items I found critical after my prostate surgery. There are many other things that can be helpful but these are the ones I found critical for me.

 *- CRITICAL! - A pair of oversized basketball type warm-up pants with snaps or zipper up the leg (to allow easy access to the catheter and bag). Get a pair that is large enough to accommodate the large (night) bags and smaller (walking) bags - that will be provided by the hospital. A dark colour will be less likely to show wetness from any accidental leakage compared with a light colour. Take the warm up pants to the hospital with you! They might recommend loose fitting pants but you are not going to want to mess with bending and trying to get a pair of loose fitting pants over the catheter tubing and bag. A man’s nightshirt is also great and probably better for the first few days but they can be hard to find in the US.

 * CRITICAL! – Medical Adult walker! This is very helpful when walking around, making something to eat or whatever to attach the larger catheter bag to so you do not have to carry it or have it hanging from your body. It also works great to have beside the bed to hang the bag from at night time. When you get up to go the bathroom which will be a lot, the bag is ready to go with you.

 * Antibiotic ointment/lubricant (Polysporin, for example) for where catheter exits (some had this supplied by their hospital). Get gauze 4X4 pads to apply ointment.

 * Alcohol swabs to clean the catheter at the tip of the penis (single use wipes designed for cleaning the skin before an injection). Make sure these are larger size, at least 1.5” x 1.5” or bigger, 2” x 2” is best!

 * Two to three dozen inexpensive white washcloths. These are great to keep yourself clean as you will be leaking urine. They are easy to clean using bleach to sanitize them as well.

 * Toilet wipes – these are great for much easier cleaning front and back. Get these in a handy dispenser that sits on the counter next to the toilet.

 * Depend Incontinence Shields for Men, Light Absorbency, 58 Ct. You might also want to buy a few larger sizes to absorb more during the first few weeks. Better to have even if you are lucky and do not need them, I was lucky.

 * Over-the-counter stool softener. For a lot of men having a bowel movement is one of the hardest things. Getting your body to go is one hurdle, the other is getting it to go without causing any more pain than necessary. Remember the bowel movement passes right by where you have just had major surgery. The easier the better!

 * A pillow to put between your knees while sleeping on your side. The testicles seem to swell up and the pillow can also help to not put pressure on them when on your side.

A CRITICAL NOTE – Make sure that before you leave the hospital you know what to do if the catheter stops draining, if you see large body tissue in the urine bag (I was amazed and a bit frightened at what came out into the bag), if the stomach drain starts leaking where it exits (you might not have a stomach drain), that you fully understand the length of the catheter tube so you do not freak out if it appears it has come out some, how to change the catheter bag. Some nurses will do a great job making you aware of these things, mine did not.