What to expect before surgery

To begin, I want to apologize if this question has already been asked. If it has, a link to that post would be helpful, and I can remove this one. I don't want a duplicate post here.

Next week I will be getting surgery for a work-related injury, very minor, not very invasive. Now, I have light urinary issues and I wear protection throughout the day. This fact is not in my medical records, it's a condition I have had since I was a kid, and my parents aren't fond of doctors.

Since it hasn't been asked about before, how should I relate this to medical personnel before the surgery? What should I expect?

Sorry if this question is a bit naive, I haven't seen a doctor since I broke my leg in Elementary school.

Thank you for any information you can give me, I still get a bit embarrassed about this.

Will you be staying overnight in the hospital following the procedure or is it out-patient?

I’ve had several surgeries in the last couple years and have disclosed issues with bedwetting each of the times. In my case, a nurse would call to pre-register me some days before the procedure. Essentially, these people would go through a pretty comprehensive history and ask about issues in all the major systems (cardiac, breathing, neural, etc.). In all cases I mentioned that I have issues peeing while asleep and that I wear “pads” (or some equivalent term) to cope with it. In every case, the nurse told me it’d be a good idea if I brought some.

For my most recent out-patient surgery, I wore one of my diapers back to the surgery suite. I had it on when I got done and woke up, it was wet. In other cases, I was staying in the hospital multiple nights following surgery and they were a bit more involved. Those ones required me to do this full body scrub with a special chemical. They didn’t care about or want me to wear diapers in those cases — although once I was up in my room for a few nights, I did put the diapers back on (that I brought from home). All the nurses didn’t seem to bat an eye about it.

I have additional experiences happy to share - if this doesn’t give you an idea about what to expect.

(Also, I should say that my experience is with the USA health system and I understand they can differ somewhat substantively from country to country).


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It's actually an early morning surgery, I'll be out before noon. My concern is mostly just due to nervousness, I don't really like hospitals. They never went over anything that extensive with me, just family history and medications. I never thought to mention it, but Arizona healthcare is odd compared to the rest of the states, and they often have different procedures with these things. I should have probably told the surgeon, but I was wearing absorbent pad liners and I don't think he noticed during preexamination.

I guess I just wanted to know how they approach it with the surgery. Should I bring an extra change? Will they want me to do, or wear anything?

Thanks for your response by the way, I really appreciate it!

Felix said:

I guess I just wanted to know how they approach it with the surgery. Should I bring an extra change? Will they want me to do, or wear anything?

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Happy to help. What area of your body is being operated on? When I had an ENT (ear nose throat) surgery, they put me in a hospital gown on top before surgery and told me to leave my "underwear" on. I had a diaper on underneath some compression boxers.

If you're going to be done by noon, I doubt anything more than a single change would be necessary - and probably not even that.

If your surgery is on your hip or abdomen or but or legs or something, I'm guessing you'll either want to ask about diaper/catheter and ask what you should do when you get there. If your surgery is on your head/neck/shoulder, etc, you might just wear one under your shorts like I did...again, though, I always asked about it ahead of time.

It's on my lower abdomen, not much I can hide down there

Felix said:

It's on my lower abdomen, not much I can hide down there

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Oh, yep. You're right.

I'd leave the diapers at home...or, bring some, and ask when the nurse is checking you in and gives you a gown to wear for surgery... I definitely would not wear a diaper/pad into surgery under the gown without saying anything first. Generally, in my experience patients are totally nude under the gown

I suppose a third option would be to ask that same nurse who checks you in and tells you to change/etc. -- if you should wear underwear under your gown. If she/he says yes, maybe then just wear your normal absorbent "underwear" like you would any other time. This might be a way of avoiding an awkward conversation. But you're likely to have another conversation on the back end after you wake up then.

Best of luck

I had my right knee replaced with an artificial one in 2013. I was in the hospital in Toronto for 5 days. I brought diapers with me to the hospital, but the medical team inserted a Foley catheter shortly after the surgery and left it there until the day before I left the hospital. The catheter was not painful except when it was inserted and removed, and it did its job well. In 2014, I had an inguinal hernia repaired. It was day surgery, and I went home a few hours after the procedure was completed. That surgery required an incision in my lower addomen, and I assumed that I would not be allowed to wear a diaper until the incision at least partially healed. However, the surgeon told me that so long as only urine was involved, I could resume wearing my diaper immediately. That was a great relief to me because I strongly dislike external catheters. I’m scheduled to have my left knee replaced later this spring. I’m hoping that I’ll be allowed to wear diapers throughout my hospital stay, but I’ll follow whatever medical advice I’m given.

I've been through WAY too many outpatient and inpatient (overnight stay) surgeries and hospital stays in general, all diapered.

Yes, go in diapered if you normally are otherwise. And absolutely yes, bring a change with you. Most every time you just let the preop nurse, and again the surgery prep nurse, know you are incontinent and will need to keep your diaper on. At the surgery prep you can put the spare diaper in the bag they give you for your clothes.

Unless your surgery is around your lower abdomen they will probably just leave it on you during the surgery. However, sometimes they might still take it off after you are out, and catheterize you. This mostly depends on your surgeon and type of surgery, so you may want to ask him about it before they take you to to operating room. Either way though, It's not a big deal to any of them. The nurses and doctors see people in diapers way more often than you think.

IF they do cath you, it will likely be taken out before you wake up in recovery (unless the type of surgery calls for keeping in the catheter- ie a sphincterotomy). You will probably need to ask for a new diaper right away, unless they just left you in the diaper you went in with.

They will give you a hospital diaper if you need it. Be warned though, hospital diapers suck. Badly. This is where having brought your own change will be better. Just have them get your bag of clothes, and put it on. Don't feel bad or embarrased to ask for help putting it on too. That's why they are there.

I wanted to thank everyone for their input and wonderful advice! I really appreciate you guys taking time to help me ease my over-anxious mind. I don't really have a choice in whether I wear or not, so I will be sure to inform the nurse and try not to stress over it. It's not really a big deal, but I can't help but feel nervous about it.

Thank you all again, I hope you have a wonderful day!

it is scary for first timers just be your self tell them of the need do what you can do for self with the changes if you are to druged up and cant help much dont sweat it they see this stuff every day . i recall the first time i was in nurseing home and one arm all wraped up from carp ole tunnel repair and had to be changed lets just say i was so scared all i could do was cry cause i did not know if the hospital had let them in on much about me .needless to say i went in to that half ready and it all went well in the end i had 2 cna that i felt they took me under their arm and made me feel like part the home family

Felix, I have to agree with Slomo, it's best to go in wearing them and be open and honest with them about it. Depending on how long your surgery takes, will depend on what/how the doctors will want to handle you possibly wetting. They might leave it on you if it's not in the way of the surgery, they may talk to you about putting a catheter in you just for the surgery, or they may just take the diaper off during the surgery and place towels over you down there to be safe. Being open about this issue with them allows them to work with you to make you feel more secure and relaxed about what all is going on.

During my last surgery, the anesthesiologist talked with me about my diaper. I was a little damp but not soaked. They didn't know how long the surgery was going to last, could be 2hrs, up to 6hrs. He was concerned about my well being and wanted to make sure I was o.k. being in a wet diaper during the surgery. I explained to him I was in my good night diaper, they were made for overnight protection and also explained that catheters would cause me more problems. With that he was very supportive and then I was out like a light, lol

During recovery in the hospital the nurses were very supportive as well. I did make sure I took my own good diapers because I didn't want to use their cheap ones and have to change every hour, lol. That make life much easier for all of us.

hope all goes well and you recover quickly from your surgery