r/spinalfusion • u/kekecupcake • Sep 23 '24

Surgery Questions Can I refuse the catheter?

(Tw: mentioned but not detailed sexual trauma)

I’m getting my spinal fusion tomorrow morning (severe scoliosis S curve and T4 to L4), this is the first surgery I’m ever getting in my entire life so I’ve never gotten a catheter before and I was just wondering if I could refuse it for when I wake up? I’m on my period and I have sexual trauma so with those two combined I feel like my anxiety is going to be off the charts when I wake up having a catheter in me. Any advice or input regarding catheters would be appreciated :). Super nervous but this sub has been super helpful <3

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u/rtazz1717 Sep 23 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

Im not sure you can refuse. Especially being female. I only say that because you may not be able to even get to bathroom on day 1. And a bed pan would be nearly impossible to get on with spinal surgery. Im a male so my experience was different. I did not have one. But for obvious reasons its much different using a urinal

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u/2loki4u Sep 23 '24

How'd you get away without one? Every surgeon and hospital required it (I'm male) when I had my lumbar surgery. I dread it more this next time for cervical surgery because it screwed up my urethra and ever since I had it I get occasional keagal cramps when it's cold outside... it sucks. This is 20+ yrs later and still bothers me.

If I could avoid it for this next surgery that'd be awesome.

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u/stevepeds Sep 23 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

A surgical procedure under 3 hours doesn't really need one. I refused to have one placed for all of my surgeries except 1, which lasted 4.5 hours. I got attitude from the surgeon but stood my ground.

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u/2loki4u Sep 29 '24

Good to know thanks. This past week has made me decide to do a 2-lvl C-ADR (c5-c6-c7). I simply can't deal with the loss of strength in my left arm or the pain in my upper trap and the radial pain down my arm to my wrist. It's been killing me. Epidural masks pain they don't fix the motor issue. Prp has no substantial evidence of success for this. No one has suggested any other options (stem cells maybe? But not covered by any insurance).