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Having PCNL surgery done - need recovery info

Posted , 4 users are following.

jobelle
jobelle

im having pcnl surgery for staghorn 20mm and would like some info re how difficult is recovery. I’m a senior 60s living alone and will be sent home after one night in hospital. I know about no lifting but is it hard to walk? Were you able to sleep comfortably with bag? I’ll only have bag for one week but I sleep on my back, cannot sleep on sides or stomach. Did you have a special diet? They said I can’t drive for two weeks because I’ll be on painkillers, so I need to order groceries and supplies in advance. I’ll be on my own, no family. Any tips or info would be appreciated. Thank you.

0 likes, 24 replies

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  • nichol08906
    nichol08906 jobelle

    Posted

    I'm having PCNL also. I am driving myself crazy with questions. Good luck with your procedure.  I will be watching for answers. 

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 nichol08906

      Posted

      Hope you can see my response to Jobelle.

      Same applies to you.

      Take care and keep in touch

      Sarah

    • lesley_ann_53
      lesley_ann_53 nichol08906

      Posted

      Hi Nichol

      Sent a reply to Jobelle

      Hope you and see it and good luck with yours x

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 jobelle

    Posted

    I had this operation in December last year.

    I had a catheter for a few days and a stent in for a week.

    I was in hospital for a week.

    Like you I am in my 60s and live on my own.

    However my sister is fairly near me.

    I can't remember how long it was before I could sleep on my side again.

    I did go to GP a couple of weeks or so after surgery and have 2 stitches removed.

    Where I live in Wales there is a scheme run by Red Cross.

    If you have come home from hospital and live on your own they will shop for you for 6 weeks.

    No special diet but drink plenty of water.

    I went back to see consultant a couple of weeks ago and everything is fine he is not expecting me to have any more problems.

    Let me know when you have a date for the operation.

    Where are you having it done?

    Take care and keep in touch

    Sarah

    • jobelle
      jobelle sarah87162

      Posted

      Sarah thank you so much for responding. Omg you were in hospital for a week! I wonder if they'll let me stay an extra day since I'm on my own. We have no such Red Cross scheme here in US, but all the grocery stores deliver now, even fresh produce and frozen, so I won't starve lol. I'm stocking up on bottled water now. I am so glad that your procedure went well. How was general anesthesia? 

      Thank you again. 

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 jobelle

      Posted

      One of the reasons I was in hospital for a week was because not only do I live on my own but also about 70 miles from the hospital.

      Also the first and second time they tried to take the stent out I kept bleeding.

      Really bad stomach ache a couple of days after surgery.

      Let me know when your operation is.

      Sarah

  • lesley_ann_53
    lesley_ann_53 jobelle

    Posted

    Hi Jobelle

    I had a PCNL operation 5th April which was a Thursday and came home Sat . My stone was 25mm the op went well got all the stone out no pain just bit uncomfortable and drain in my back and a catheter for 24hrs then they took the catheter out did not have a stent . They then put a bag over my wound to drain it was uncomfortable as it filled 3 times and I couldn't sleep very well was sitting up a bit, but I can't sleep well in hospital anyway. After the 3 times it was drained it slows down hardly anything after that . The district nurses came 3 times to take bag off then change dressing. I was surprised how well I felt with it all . I am 64yrs old was told to drink plenty of water and I slept well at home . Could not drive for a couple of weeks more to do with insurance one of the consultants told me. Luckery I had my husband to help and my son rested the first two weeks consultant said I could go back to work within 2 weeks but I don't work as I had a knee replacement op last June. I was low in engery for about a month and told not to lift heavy shopping bags for couple of months I just used a little trundle trolley to take shopping on home. When is your op. Where abouts are you ? It will be fine I was so nervous before mine . I had mine done in Birmingham queen Elizabeth hospital . Do keep in touch . I have just received my results from my stone and it's mostly calcium oxalate so I have to drink 2 litres of water daily and cut back or no spinach rhubarb nuts and chocolate . Also it was comfortable to walk . Take care Jobelle x

    • nichol08906
      nichol08906 lesley_ann_53

      Posted

      Hi Lesley ann.  So glad your surgery went well. My stone is a 2 cm staghorn struvite stone.  My biggest fear is them putting the tube in my back in radiology before the operation and being awake and feeling it.  My surgery is in 2 weeks.  What was your experience with that?
    • lesley_ann_53
      lesley_ann_53 nichol08906

      Posted

      Hi Nichol

      They did everything while I was knocked out never knew a thing which was good . My stone was 2.5 cm I did actually watch the op a week before on you tube and that calmed me down a bit I understud a lot more what they did after that . The only thing I don't like was being sick after anesthetic always am even the anti sickness drugs I'm still sick I refused some they offered me in the evening . They gave me iv paracetamol later think it's the morphine aswell once I'm over that I'm fine . It's the first 24hrs once that's gone you feel so much better. I went into surgery at 8.30am came out at 12ish I was in recovery till 3.30 as they hadn't got a bed spare till then . Do you know what causes stag horn stones ?

    • nichol08906
      nichol08906 lesley_ann_53

      Posted

      I am having 3 24 hour urine tests done.  I am in the middle of the first one now.  My understanding is magnesium and phosphorus.  It is an infectious stone.  How bad was the pain after?
    • lesley_ann_53
      lesley_ann_53 nichol08906

      Posted

      Hi

      Wow so strange all these different stones . I did not have any pain just a bit of dull ache in my back and a bit uncomfortable. I just took paracetamol that's all . You get so tired though . I slept like a baby when I got home . It's too noisy in hospital. Which hospital are you going to.

    • jobelle
      jobelle lesley_ann_53

      Posted

      Lesley Ann thank you so much for all the details. Very reassuring and I'm glad they got all the stone out. I don't want one speck of that demon stone left in me! Omg this staghorn has given me UTI for over a year. I just want it out. My doc said I will be back to normal in two weeks but I've heard that it takes a month to get energy back, maybe longer. Guess it depends on the person. So happy you are ok and thank you again. I am in Texas USA. 

    • jobelle
      jobelle nichol08906

      Posted

      Nichol yes I'm worried about the pre-op guide wires too! Unclear on whether they do that while awake or knocked out. I do NOT like lying face down so I hope I'm out. I too have 2cm Staghorn but how do you know it's struvite? Did they test it somehow? My doc says they won't know what it is until they take it out. 

    • jobelle
      jobelle lesley_ann_53

      Posted

      I watched the procedure on YouTube. Very interesting. I do not know what causes staghorn stones but they are awful. My doc explained that the infection is inside the stone so you can take rounds of antibiotics but nothing penetrates the stone. It has to be removed. I've suffered for over a year with UTI but couldn't have surgery until Medicare kicked in this year when I turned 65. I had passed stones before but there's no passing a Staghorn with those "antlers" growing into the kidney crevices. They're just nasty and I want mine gone never to return but if course I'm still scared lol.

    • lesley_ann_53
      lesley_ann_53 jobelle

      Posted

      Hi Jobelle

      Don't worry about lying face down I was worried about that as I'm overweight . But you don't know because you will be asleep only thing is feeling sore around your ribs and you feel a bit bruised .they gave me antibiotics while in the operation hopefully to stop any infection. My stone was stuck in the lower pole of my left kidney . I'm in The Midlands UK . I had my operation at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

    • lesley_ann_53
      lesley_ann_53 nichol08906

      Posted

      Hi Nichol

      I'm in The Midlands UK. I was in Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

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