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Hem-O-Lok clips detaching

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User
Posted 23 Sep 2026 at 17:09

Hi - I'm just over a year post salvage prostatectomy and the constant infections and blood clots I've been getting have finally been diagnosed as an errant Hem-o-Lok clip floating around my bladder. Just wondering if anyone else has had this ? I'm due to go in and get it removed with a trans-urethral procedure (30 mins general anaesthetic) and was shocked when the surgeon suggested a catheter for a week and then possibly self catheterising regularly for a year or so ! Apart from my infections my urine flow has more or less returned to normal after my prostatectomy and I haven't used pads for at least 8 months so the idea of using a catheter long term for such a small operation I find depressing. Anyone elses experience with this procedure would be useful to hear.

User
Posted 23 Sep 2026 at 19:14

Z,there are probably half a dozen of us on here with a similar experience. My first was was floating around in the bladder and taken out under general anaesthetic. I then had another two or three removed from the urethra. One guy on here passed his through the penis. 

Catheter shouldn't be an issue,a far easier experience than it was after surgery. I didn't have a catheter after one removal and went into retention.

Hope all goes well, don't forget to ask for some instilagel or similar gel for the tip of the penis.

Thanks Chris 

 

Added,  detached got me thinking about the mechanics of how they migrate. I have always said they are supposed to settle in a corner, but never thought about how they drop off the blood vessels. 

Edited by member 23 Sep 2026 at 23:23  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 24 Sep 2026 at 10:04

Z, you have certainly stimulated my grey matter, there seems some contradictions or variations of how the clip parts company with the blood vessel. Below is a Google contribution.

 

"Hem-o-lok" clips—the non-absorbable polymer clips used by surgeons to clamp blood vessels and ducts during laparoscopic or robotic surgeries—can drop off or detach primarily due to mechanical failure, improper surgical sizing, or natural tissue changes. [1, 2]

When a clip detaches or moves from its original spot inside the body, medical professionals refer to this process as clip migration. The most common reasons why a Hem-o-lok clip drops off or dislodges include: [1, 2]

1. Tissue Necrosis and Sloughing

After a clip is clamped down, the tightly squeezed section of the vessel or duct naturally dies off (necrosis). If the surrounding tissue inflames, heals, or sloughs away, the closed clip may lose its anchor and simply fall off the stump. [1]

2. Sizing Mismatches or Improper Placement

If a surgeon uses a clip that is too small for a thick or wide structure (such as a large cystic duct or thick artery), the clip cannot completely encompass or securely latch onto the tissue. Over time, internal pressures can cause the clip to slip right off the end. [1, 2]

3. Biological Rejection and Inflammation

The human body naturally treats surgical clips as foreign objects. In rare instances, a localized immune or rejection response triggers inflammation around the surgical site. This response can degrade the surrounding tissue, making it brittle and causing the clip to detach. [1, 2]

4. Pressure From Bodily Movements

Constant internal friction and pressure exerted by the movement of surrounding organs, breathing, or physical activity can mechanically push or wiggle a clip away from its intended position after the initial healing phase. [1] "" 

I started with a UTI and reduced flow,that prompted a cystoscopy and the discovery of the first clip. The cystoscopy also found that a stricture was forming at the new joint. I certainly don't recall feeling an event as the clips came away from the blood vessels. They had around 12 or 13 goes at sorting the stricture out, but it never got sorted and other events have left me with a permanent suprapubic catheter.

I did self dilatation anything from once a day to once every two or three days. Once trained it is a simple and easy procedure. My main tip is be very gentle. Not sure if the camera used when under GA is any bigger than when awake.

Hope you get sorted.

Thanks Chris.

 

 

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User
Posted 23 Sep 2026 at 19:14

Z,there are probably half a dozen of us on here with a similar experience. My first was was floating around in the bladder and taken out under general anaesthetic. I then had another two or three removed from the urethra. One guy on here passed his through the penis. 

Catheter shouldn't be an issue,a far easier experience than it was after surgery. I didn't have a catheter after one removal and went into retention.

Hope all goes well, don't forget to ask for some instilagel or similar gel for the tip of the penis.

Thanks Chris 

 

Added,  detached got me thinking about the mechanics of how they migrate. I have always said they are supposed to settle in a corner, but never thought about how they drop off the blood vessels. 

Edited by member 23 Sep 2026 at 23:23  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 23 Sep 2026 at 23:49

Thanks for the reply - not too worried about the op or the 1 week catheter but p****d off about needing to self dilate for possibly a long period in order to stop any closing up of the urethra. I’ve had two cystoscopys with no ill effects and I’m assuming the removal operation must irritate the urethra a lot more than the cystoscopy. Would I self catheterise every urination or once a day or as needed I’m not sure?

I definitely felt my clip detach about 8 months ago but the doctors and specialist nurses wouldn’t have it even when I was going through constant infections and a list of antibiotics.

User
Posted 24 Sep 2026 at 10:04

Z, you have certainly stimulated my grey matter, there seems some contradictions or variations of how the clip parts company with the blood vessel. Below is a Google contribution.

 

"Hem-o-lok" clips—the non-absorbable polymer clips used by surgeons to clamp blood vessels and ducts during laparoscopic or robotic surgeries—can drop off or detach primarily due to mechanical failure, improper surgical sizing, or natural tissue changes. [1, 2]

When a clip detaches or moves from its original spot inside the body, medical professionals refer to this process as clip migration. The most common reasons why a Hem-o-lok clip drops off or dislodges include: [1, 2]

1. Tissue Necrosis and Sloughing

After a clip is clamped down, the tightly squeezed section of the vessel or duct naturally dies off (necrosis). If the surrounding tissue inflames, heals, or sloughs away, the closed clip may lose its anchor and simply fall off the stump. [1]

2. Sizing Mismatches or Improper Placement

If a surgeon uses a clip that is too small for a thick or wide structure (such as a large cystic duct or thick artery), the clip cannot completely encompass or securely latch onto the tissue. Over time, internal pressures can cause the clip to slip right off the end. [1, 2]

3. Biological Rejection and Inflammation

The human body naturally treats surgical clips as foreign objects. In rare instances, a localized immune or rejection response triggers inflammation around the surgical site. This response can degrade the surrounding tissue, making it brittle and causing the clip to detach. [1, 2]

4. Pressure From Bodily Movements

Constant internal friction and pressure exerted by the movement of surrounding organs, breathing, or physical activity can mechanically push or wiggle a clip away from its intended position after the initial healing phase. [1] "" 

I started with a UTI and reduced flow,that prompted a cystoscopy and the discovery of the first clip. The cystoscopy also found that a stricture was forming at the new joint. I certainly don't recall feeling an event as the clips came away from the blood vessels. They had around 12 or 13 goes at sorting the stricture out, but it never got sorted and other events have left me with a permanent suprapubic catheter.

I did self dilatation anything from once a day to once every two or three days. Once trained it is a simple and easy procedure. My main tip is be very gentle. Not sure if the camera used when under GA is any bigger than when awake.

Hope you get sorted.

Thanks Chris.

 

 

 
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