Bladder injury during section

[Ruth 1980]

Hi ladies, I posted this query in babyclub recently as I wasn't sure where it should go, but now it has a spot! I got a few responses but I figure here it will be seen by a wider audience of c section mummy's! So just wondering:
Did they accidentally cut your bladder during the procedure?

After my section I noticed the catheter bag was full of blood and the nurse noticed me looking and said "don't worry they probably nicked your bladder, it happens all the time". But I've since found out that it's quite uncommon for this to happen in a 1st time c-section, so I'm wondering if any of you had this?? x

 

[bump2be]

Hi - Sorry to hear this happened to you. I had a c-section and didn't have any problems with my bladder. In fact I haven't heard of this happening to anyone before. If I were you I would bring this up with the hospital that performed the c-section.

 

[rockstar]

I had this exact problem! My bag filled up twice with blood and they had to put a little stitch in the bladder! I had to ask about it as no one told me at the actual time!

 

[Ruth 1980]

Hi - Sorry to hear this happened to you. I had a c-section and didn't have any problems with my bladder. In fact I haven't heard of this happening to anyone before. If I were you I would bring this up with the hospital that performed the c-section.

Thanks, yes I plan on giving them a call. I'm not suffering from any problems with it now but I believe I could be at risk of further bladder damage with subsequent sections. So I'll ask them to check my theatre notes and see if it definitely did happen x

 

[Ruth 1980]

I had this exact problem! My bag filled up twice with blood and they had to put a little stitch in the bladder! I had to ask about it as no one told me at the actual time!

Yes I think the doctors don't want to tell you in case you start thinking about suing them! I have no interest in that, but would like to know for definite. Was it your first section this happened during? x

 

[rockstar]

Yes it was my first and the only reason I found out is I am preg again and saw consultant about birth this time and asked him, as I remember them saying in theatre they need to stitch something so asked what my notes said and he told me! X

 

[Ruth 1980]

Yes it was my first and the only reason I found out is I am preg again and saw consultant about birth this time and asked him, as I remember them saying in theatre they need to stitch something so asked what my notes said and he told me! X

Your 1st too? From what I've read it's very rare to happen on your 1st section. I must ask them to check my notes! Thank you for replying! Good luck with this pregnancy x

 

[stephanie1986]

I had my son in January from a scheduled c-section. It was my 3rd one, and I was getting my tubes tied. As soon as they took my son out, I started to feel pain and I was still open. So, they had to put me to sleep. When I woke up the next day a few doctors, my obgyn and a urologist came in to tell me that my obgyn had cut my bladder and that I would be going home with a catheter. I felt my heart sink. I cried so much. My OB said my uterus was stuck to my stomach lining and accidently cut my bladder. I couldn't breast feed my son like I planned because of the antibiotics. It was painful to have that thing in for 2 weeks. All the rubbing it was doing to my bladder made it bleed. My urethra felt like it was on fire. When I went to get it taken out I felt relieved to be able to not having something peeing for me. The next 4 weeks were still painful. Everytime I peed I felt like I was peeing razor blades. I had several bladder infections. Worst experience of my life. Thank god that I had such an amazing urologist. I am just grateful that my son was healthy.

 

[havingmyfirst]

They didn't cut my bladder (as far as I know) but I had a catheter before I went to theatre and when I came back from emergency C section my catheter bag was filled with blood. They said that the catheter was knocked about a but during rush to theatre and transfer from bed to stretcher and back etc and was badly bruised.

I am home (day 11) but it hurts to pass water. Pain is internal... like a very very bruised bladder... almost a cramp when I try to wee... I am hoping this improves quickly. Urine tests show no infection but I am on antibiotics as a precaution.

 

[Srrme]

It didn't happen to me. I would have freaked out. I'm sorry it happened to you!

 

[Scally]

I had to have my catheter in for longer after my emergency c section as I had suffered bladder trauma and they wanted to wait until there was no blood in the urine (the first couple of bags were full of it). I had a bruised sort of feeling for a while when going to the toilet after that x

 

[weebun]

Hi I had my daughter in August, by emergency c-section, my second one. When they opened me up I had scar tissue from prev c-section every where as they were cutting through it to get to my uterus they nicked my bladder, as it was attached to my utuerus with scar tissue. They got baby out, and I had a catheter for 10 days afterwards while the bladder healed. I breast fed my daughter and learnt how to change my catheter bag each day myself when I got home, I was pretty down about it because you don't forsee anything like that happening and the 2 weeks my partner had taken off work paternity leave were spent with me in doors pretty reluctant to go out with because of the catheter and lack of loose legged clothing to hid the fact I had it on. They could not have seen my bladder under the scar tissue as they cut through, it is something that CAN happen but I had a fantastic reassuring team looking after me. By the time my follow up scan came, well that day my catheter failed and decided to bypass itself and I was passing water as normal, spent a whole day in hospital to cut a long story short my consultant let me home without the scan and I was fine after that.

I was upset and down, but looking back me and baby were fine and the bladder is a very fast healing organ, I had no other complications.

I am due with number 3 in December and I have having a planned c-section this time as the same team will be looking after me and are prepared for the scar tissue but this time they will be taking their time to have a good look around before they start cutting at scar tissue and stuff.

I'm worried but that's only natural, but I know I am in good and safe hands x

 

[Shezza84uk]

Oh my this scares me so much, I am having my first section in 4 weeks and was told this was a possibility.

 

[weebun]

Oh my this scares me so much, I am having my first section in 4 weeks and was told this was a possibility.

mine was purely accidental and unavoidable. my first c-section was uneventful and normal... x There instances are in the minority x if you have concerns raise them with your consultant. No operative procedure is without risk of any sort. Again the incidents are in the minority. x

 

[Baby321]

Oh my this scares me so much, I am having my first section in 4 weeks and was told this was a possibility.

This scares me as well. I will be having my fourth section in 13 days time and consented for the section today which did mention all these risks. First time section i had no problems with Its when you have had previous c-sections and you have alot of scar tissue.

 

[curiouser5]

I've not had my c-section yet, but I did have an epidural (vaginal delivery) with my first baby, so I had a catheter, I remember seeing blood in the bag, not sure why though. A few days after the birth I had some pretty bad pains, felt like a bladder infection but a lot worse, I was given ural & antibiotics as precaution.

 

[mariekhary]

I had my son in January from a scheduled c-section. It was my 3rd one, and I was getting my tubes tied. As soon as they took my son out, I started to feel pain and I was still open. So, they had to put me to sleep. When I woke up the next day a few doctors, my obgyn and a urologist came in to tell me that my obgyn had cut my bladder and that I would be going home with a catheter. I felt my heart sink. I cried so much. My OB said my uterus was stuck to my stomach lining and accidently cut my bladder. I couldn't breast feed my son like I planned because of the antibiotics. It was painful to have that thing in for 2 weeks. All the rubbing it was doing to my bladder made it bleed. My urethra felt like it was on fire. When I went to get it taken out I felt relieved to be able to not having something peeing for me. The next 4 weeks were still painful. Everytime I peed I felt like I was peeing razor blades. I had several bladder infections. Worst experience of my life. Thank god that I had such an amazing urologist. I am just grateful that my son was healthy.

Stephanie, I have been looking all over the web for women who have had the same urological problems as me. And tonight I came across this thread and your post. I too had a c-section and a cut bladder. It was my second c-section and she accidently cut my bladder when she pulled me open. She warned me right away so I know it was an accident. And also had a catheter for 10 days. Anywho, I have been having utis like crazy. I mean every 2 or 3 months. Its a bit ridiculous. I'm considering seeing a urologist about it, seeing as nothing else is truly helping or fixing my problems. What kind of info and tests did your urologist give you? I'm going to make an appt with my gyn also. If she can't find anything, I will call the urologist and get some tests done.

 

[mariekhary]

I had my son in January from a scheduled c-section. It was my 3rd one, and I was getting my tubes tied. As soon as they took my son out, I started to feel pain and I was still open. So, they had to put me to sleep. When I woke up the next day a few doctors, my obgyn and a urologist came in to tell me that my obgyn had cut my bladder and that I would be going home with a catheter. I felt my heart sink. I cried so much. My OB said my uterus was stuck to my stomach lining and accidently cut my bladder. I couldn't breast feed my son like I planned because of the antibiotics. It was painful to have that thing in for 2 weeks. All the rubbing it was doing to my bladder made it bleed. My urethra felt like it was on fire. When I went to get it taken out I felt relieved to be able to not having something peeing for me. The next 4 weeks were still painful. Everytime I peed I felt like I was peeing razor blades. I had several bladder infections. Worst experience of my life. Thank god that I had such an amazing urologist. I am just grateful that my son was healthy.

I'm sorry, I left out that I had my last child in January also.

 

[Baby321]

I had my son in January from a scheduled c-section. It was my 3rd one, and I was getting my tubes tied. As soon as they took my son out, I started to feel pain and I was still open. So, they had to put me to sleep. When I woke up the next day a few doctors, my obgyn and a urologist came in to tell me that my obgyn had cut my bladder and that I would be going home with a catheter. I felt my heart sink. I cried so much. My OB said my uterus was stuck to my stomach lining and accidently cut my bladder. I couldn't breast feed my son like I planned because of the antibiotics. It was painful to have that thing in for 2 weeks. All the rubbing it was doing to my bladder made it bleed. My urethra felt like it was on fire. When I went to get it taken out I felt relieved to be able to not having something peeing for me. The next 4 weeks were still painful. Everytime I peed I felt like I was peeing razor blades. I had several bladder infections. Worst experience of my life. Thank god that I had such an amazing urologist. I am just grateful that my son was healthy.

Stephanie, I have been looking all over the web for women who have had the same urological problems as me. And tonight I came across this thread and your post. I too had a c-section and a cut bladder. It was my second c-section and she accidently cut my bladder when she pulled me open. She warned me right away so I know it was an accident. And also had a catheter for 10 days. Anywho, I have been having utis like crazy. I mean every 2 or 3 months. Its a bit ridiculous. I'm considering seeing a urologist about it, seeing as nothing else is truly helping or fixing my problems. What kind of info and tests did your urologist give you? I'm going to make an appt with my gyn also. If she can't find anything, I will call the urologist and get some tests done.

oh ladies,feel very frightened now, have my fourth section in 4 days and and have been warned about this being a high possibility this time round

 

[Ruth 1980]

Ladies I'm only getting back to this thread now, sorry. Thank you for all your responses, and I'm very sorry to hear about the trouble some of you have had. My latest news is that my GP wrote to the Ob (who wasn't around for my section, it was done by the registrar and house officer) and his junior doctor wrote back to say she'd checked my op notes and there was no mention of the bladder being cut so she wouldn't think it had happened. Any future deliveries of mine will also have to be by section and I have a lot of scar tissue adhesion now so I'll be pointing out very clearly to watch out for my bladder! x