Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor (TURBT)

It will take about six weeks from the date of surgery to fully recover from your operation. To help prevent infection, you’ll take antibiotics for about one week after your procedure. If you develop a fever over 101°F or have chills, call your surgeon. Although not common, this may indicate infection that has developed beyond the control of your current antibiotics.

Tips for Using a Catheter

Your surgical team may instruct you to wear a catheter when you return home. If so, your surgeon will tell you how long you should need the catheter. The nurses will explain to you how to keep it clean and how to use the drainage bag.

Your care team also will teach you how to remove the catheter, which is quite easy and produces little discomfort. Some men find that placing antibiotic ointment around the catheter at the tip of the penis will reduce irritation.

Most people find that catheter drainage into the overnight bag is most convenient because it holds more urine and requires less frequent emptying than a leg bag. Also, it may be more convenient to wear loose fitting pants, like sweatpants or exercise pants with side snaps.

You can clip the leg bag to your pants to conveniently carry it. When wearing the leg bag, be careful that it does not overfill. While sitting with a leg bag, the urine can back up into the catheter Therefore, only wear a leg bag when you’re walking around.

It is normal to pass small clots through the catheter, although in general the urine should be clear. It may become blood tinged periodically. Please call you doctor if the catheter stops draining or if you see multiple large clots or persistent blood.

During the first two weeks after surgery, it’s important to take it easy. You should avoid lifting and straining, which also means that you should avoid constipation. This can help:

• Modify your diet
• Use gentle laxatives such as milk of magnesia, which you can purchase at your local drug store
• Use prescribed stool softeners

During this time, you also should avoid these activities:

• Driving
• Physically demanding work or exercise
• Sex
• Sitting for too long

One week after your surgery, call our office for the results of your biopsy and to make your next appointment.

Scab Coming Out

One or two weeks after the operation, pieces of the scab will fall off and come out with your urine. The scab coming out is normal.

Simply lie down and increase your fluid intake for a few hours. In most cases, the urine will clear. Because there is a tendency for bleeding, you should avoid aspirin and Advil for two weeks after your operation. You can safely take Tylenol for pain. If bleeding occurs or lasts for longer than 12 hours — or if clots appear in your urine stream — call your surgeon.

During weeks three to six of your recovery, you may gradually begin regular activity. For example, you may feel well enough to return to work, but need to begin working only half-days. It is common to become tired in the afternoon. If that occurs, take a nap if you can.

You may begin to drive as well as lift objects, such as a briefcase. Golfers may begin swinging a golf club at this time. You can resume sexual activity, but only on a limited basis.

In general, you can get back your normal activities as you progress through these weeks. By six to eight weeks after TURBT, you should be back to normal activity. If you take aspirin as a regular medication, you may begin taking it again after eight weeks.