bladder removal after bladder augmentation

[sadgirl]

Hello,
Excuse for my english. My doctor made a year ago a bladder augmentation to me but it has not worked in me. I would like to know what surgerys can be done after a bladder augmentation. I would like make me an indiana pouch, but I don't know if is it possible in my country. I would like to know the price of this surgery in the U.S.A. and what doctors does it, because I thinking to travel to the U.S.A. to make me a surgery to cure my ic. Kisses

[Kara29]

Surgery can help to treat IC and remove it from certain parts of the bladder and urethra but there is no surgery to fully cure IC. Some of us who have had these types of surgeries, we say we don't have IC anymore but it has not been a proven fact. It also depends on what surgery you have. I've had my bladder removed but the urethra was left in place. The IC returned to the remaining urethra and I had to have that removed. I would ask your doctor if he can do a full cystectomy and full urethrectomy (to take out the entire urethra and not just tie it off, if they tie it off your chances of still having IC symptoms are very high! I would also ask if they can give you some sort of Continent Urinary Diversion which is just like and Indiana Pouch but it just depends on how they shape it based on your anatomy. IC is similar to Cancer in the idea that if the don't remove it all or get it all out for good, it may return in the future. And there is still no 100% guarantee that after they remove it all it will never come back. It could still come back and for some of us it has. We have to be realistic here with this disease. My best advice is to come to the US to have this done. Dr. Raz is in CA. He is wonderful from what I have heard so far. If you are going to have this surgery you want to research this bladder removal board to no end. There is tons of information on here on the types of removal you can have. Ths cost is VERY EXPENSIVE with and without insurance. I hope you have a good insurance plan. You'd have to stay in the US until you healed properly. This is not an overnight surgery where you can jump on a plane an go back to Spain right away. You will also need a LOT of family support while you are here in the US. It's a 6-12month recovery period depending on what they do for you. I just had my surgery and I still have not gone home yet and it's been over 3 weeks with pre-op and travel and you will incur hotel expenses too. I will attempt to go home next weekend and then have to return in 3-4 weeks for post-op follow up and to lean how to catheterize my new bladder. You'll have to really think about this long and hard. It's expensive to travel and stay here for as long as you need to heal and it's an expensive surgery depending on what they do for you and what you have regarding insurance. It all depends on the surgeon you choose as well. Some are great and some are not great at all. Do your research and ask others on here to support you with this. It's a long process that needs to be taken serioulsy and to remember that there is no "cure for IC" not even surgery as drastic as these.

We are all here for you if you decide to come to the United States to pursue this.

Kara Lynn :cat:

[Judith56]

Yes, it is possible to have an Indiana pouch done after having had the augmentation. It is BIG surgery and as others said you will need to be here for at least a few months after the surgery so they can check on your progress- how you are doing. When you get an Indiana pouch you will have to learn how to "train" it to hold increasing amounts of urine. This takes a long time, you will have to follow a very strict schedule of when to cath the pouch if you want to get a good outcome. But after all is said and done it is worth going through all of this for the end result.I had mine done over 13 years ago and am so happy with mine that I woudl do it all over again. Like you I started out with the augmentation whihc did not work. I thne had the regualr urostomy done where I wore and external pouch and then after 6 years switched over to my Indiana pouch. As for expense - it will depend on who the surgeon is, the hospital, if you have complications, how long you are in the hospital, etc. It would be more worth your while to research Spain and see if they are doing any where in your country, besides the fact that it will be easier to speak to your nurses if they all speak Spanish. All hospitals here have interpreters though in case you need one. Good luck and I would be happy to answer any questions about the surgery you might have. Judith

[dhale]

How long are you in hospital

[Judith56]

As for how long in the hospital it really depends on lots of factors, though I think the average is about 10 days. That is really a question for your surgeon.