How to make a car journey comfortable after a AUS operation

User

Posted 26 Mar 2018 at 14:14

Hello, I am new to this forum so please forgive me if I am asking a frequently asked question.

I had 39 sessions of radiotherapy over nine weeks during 2014 and although the cancer was zapped, I have had a few ongoing problems as a result of the radiotherapy.

I am now fully incontinent and I am due shortly to have an Artificial Urinary Sphincter (AUS 800 or AMS 800) fitted. My wife will be driving me home from hospital after the operation but I was wondering if anyone here could recommend a seat or cushion etc. that might make for a more comfortable journey.

Many thanks.

User

Posted 26 Mar 2018 at 21:25

Hi. I would have thought a Sorbo ring or similar would help given the area of you're perineum that will have been operated on. I know they are recommended for bottom operations.

Regards
Ann

User

Posted 27 Mar 2018 at 08:00

I had an 80-mile trip back from Birmingham after my AMS-800 implant (including the ridged concrete of the M54...). The trip was not too uncomfortable - wife's expert driving in a Honda Jazz, a car not renowned for having soft suspension. I think the thing was that the swelling and bruising was only just coming out at the point of leaving the hospital, it was a bit more difficult to get comfortable at home a few days later.

However, the discomfort is well worth putting up with. The change in quality of life after AMS-800 activation is quite dramatic! Any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.

Tony
TURP then LRP in 2009/2010. Lots of leakage but PSA < 0.1 AMS-800 Artificial Sphincter activated 2015.

User

Posted 27 Mar 2018 at 12:52

Hi,

Thanks very much for your input. I shall check them out.

Cheers

User

Posted 27 Mar 2018 at 13:00

Hi Tony,

Thanks for responding, I am grateful for your advice as I really do not know what to expect by way of mobility and discomfort etc. on the day of my release from hospital.

I had previously been reading your comments about your experiences which lead up to your AUS implant and I found it very informative and very helpful.

Thanks again,

Cheers.

User

Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 08:52

Hi there. Long-time prostate cancer ‘sufferer’ but new to the forum. Have been offered a AUS because of total urinary incontinence but am concerned about it causing me to make repeated trips to the loo. Do you (or anyone ‘watching’) recall what your pre-op bladder capacity was? I’ve been incontinent for several years now and I’m assuming my bladder has lost all of its elasticity so just worried that post op it will fill up quickly requiring, as I say, me to be close to a toilet at all times.
Also, did you find that bladder capacity improved post-op - that you could go longer between toilet visits?
I’m still very conflicted!!

User

Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 10:19

Hi Jim, I don't have any bladder problems post treatment. I can tell you that in the night if I wake up for a piss i will pee out about 250ml. Pre and post treatment. I can also mention that my first symptom of PC was urine retention and I had just under a litre in my bladder, so a healthy bladder is quite elastic. The incontinence nurse who first put a catheter in me said she preferred put a tap on the end of the catheter than a bag, in order to ensure the bladder was filling and then being emptied so it would continue to work post treatment.

Dave

User

Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 12:28

Hi Jim, my post-op (Feb 2022) bladder capacity (at night) is around 300 mL but I believe that was better pre-op. Currently I'm producing around a litre of urine during the night, necessitating three, sometime four pee trips (assuming I wake up 😬). Pre op (and with an enlarged prostate) I only needed two trips. So that is suggesting a pre-op bladder capacity of 400 mL or more. The unknown in those estimations of course is whether the bladder is fully emptying. When you Google it, normal adult bladder capacities do vary quite a bit but 400 mL seems to be middle of the road. Chris

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