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how to repair bladder injury

by Mariane Heaney Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The injury can be repaired with surgery in most cases. The bladder may be drained by a catheter through the urethra or the abdominal wall (called a suprapubic tube) over a period of days to weeks. This will prevent urine from building up in the bladder.

With an intraperitoneal injury, there are often other intraabdominal injuries; therefore, the bladder injury is repaired during laparotomy. It is repaired in a 2-layer fashion with absorbable suture. The bladder is then drained via a transurethral catheter or suprapubic catheter.

Full Answer

What are signs of ruptured bladder?

  • Upper right abdominal pain
  • Abdominal tenderness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fever and possible chills
  • Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)

What are the symptoms of a torn bladder?

  • Being unable to urinate
  • Lower back pain on one side
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Swelling in the feet
  • Bone pain

How do you repair a hole in the bladder?

Your doctor may recommend cystectomy to treat:

  • Cancer that begins in the bladder or that begins nearby and grows to involve the bladder
  • Birth defects that affect the urinary system
  • Neurological or inflammatory disorders that affect the urinary system

Can nerve damage be repaired from bladder retention?

There’s no cure for neurogenic bladder, but you can manage your symptoms and get control. Train your bladder. You can do this by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles during the day or when you need to pee ( Kegel exercises ). Hold it, if you can. Delayed voiding is when you wait a few minutes to urinate after you feel the urge.

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Can bladder damage be repaired?

The injury can be repaired with surgery in most cases. The bladder may be drained by a catheter through the urethra or the abdominal wall (called a suprapubic tube) over a period of days to weeks.

How long does it take for an injured bladder to heal?

The urine and blood drain into a collection bag. It usually takes at least 10 days for the bladder to heal.

Can bladder be permanently damaged?

Bladder damage — If your bladder is stretched too far or for extended periods, the muscles may become permanently damaged and lose their ability to properly contract.

How do I know if I injured my bladder?

Symptoms of Bladder Injuries The most common symptoms of a bladder injury are visible blood in the urine, difficulty in urinating, and pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen or during urination.

How can I heal my bladder naturally?

15 Tips To Keep Your Bladder HealthyUse the bathroom often and when needed. ... Be in a relaxed position while urinating. ... Take enough time to fully empty the bladder when urinating. ... Wipe from front to back after using the toilet. ... Urinate after sex. ... Do pelvic floor muscle exercises.More items...•

Can an overstretched bladder be repaired?

Prompt diagnosis is important because there is no way to repair the muscles of the bladder once they have been overstretched. Treatment of the cause will prevent further bladder damage and could mean that your symptoms remain mild.

How can I rebuild my bladder lining?

Pentosan polysulfate sodium is the only FDA-approved oral medication for interstitial cystitis. The drug binds to the walls of the bladder, helping replace and repair the lining. Symptom improvement can take up to six months, but several studies have shown moderately positive results.

How can I strengthen my bladder?

High-impact exercise and sit-ups put pressure on your pelvic floor muscles and can increase leaks. To strengthen your pelvic floor to relieve symptoms, replace high-impact exercise, such as jogging and aerobics, with strengthening exercise, such as pilates.

How do you strengthen your bladder muscles?

Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for three seconds, and then relax for three seconds. Try it a few times in a row. When your muscles get stronger, try doing Kegel exercises while sitting, standing or walking.

Can urethra injury heal itself?

Rarely, urethral tears heal without surgery. Treatment helps to prevent some complications of urethral injuries.

What happens if you have a tear in your bladder?

In most cases, patients with bladder rupture have gross hematuria (77% to 100%). Other symptoms of bladder rupture include pelvic pain, lower abdominal pain, and difficulty voiding. It is important to note that trauma to the urinary tract is frequently associated with other traumatic injuries.

Can urethra injury heal itself?

Rarely, urethral tears heal without surgery. Treatment helps to prevent some complications of urethral injuries.

What does a damaged urethra feel like?

The most common symptoms of urethral injuries include blood at the tip of the penis in men or the urethral opening in women, blood in the urine, an inability to urinate, and pain during urination. Bruising may be visible between the legs or in the genitals. Other symptoms may arise when complications develop.

How do you treat an inflamed bladder?

Cystitis can be painful, but you can take steps to ease your discomfort:Use a heating pad. A heating pad placed on your lower abdomen can soothe and possibly minimize feelings of bladder pressure or pain.Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated. ... Take a sitz bath.

How to diagnose bladder injury?

Diagnosis. A health care provider diagnoses bladder injury by placing a tube ("catheter") into the bladder and taking a series of X-rays. X-rays of the urethra may be taken before the catheter is put in, to see if it is damaged. Before the X-rays are taken, the bladder is filled with a liquid that will make it visible on the X-rays.

How long does it take for a bladder tear to heal?

But often it can be treated by simply placing a wide catheter into the bladder to keep it empty. The urine and blood drain into a collection bag. It usually takes at least 10 days for the bladder to heal. The catheter is left in the bladder until an X-ray shows that the leak has sealed. If the catheter doesn’t drain properly, surgery is needed.

How long does it take for a bladder infection to go away?

You'll usually take antibiotics for a few days to get rid of any infection in the bladder from the injury or the catheter. In some patients, the bladder may be " overactive " for many weeks or months from the irritation of the injury.

What happens if you get shot in the bladder?

Most of the time, other organs in the area will be injured and need repair as well. After surgery, a catheter is left in the bladder to drain the urine and blood until the bladder heals.

How to prevent bladder trauma in a car crash?

You can prevent bladder trauma from a car crash by wearing a seat belt properly. The seat belt should be worn as a lap belt, and not across the belly. During a car crash, passengers with a full bladder wearing a seat belt around the belly may have the force of the crash focus on the full bladder.

What is the Urology Care Foundation?

The Urology Care Foundation offers free, evidence-based patient education materials on urologic health to patients, healthcare providers, and the general public.

What happens when your bladder is not full?

When it isn't full, the bladder is relaxed. Muscles in the bladder wall allow it to expand as it fills with urine. Nerve signals in your brain let you know that your bladder is getting full. Then you feel the need to go to the bathroom. The brain tells the bladder muscles to squeeze (or "contract").

How long does it take for a ruptured bladder to heal?

These injuries usually heal and seal within about 10 days. However, patients with this type of bladder injury that is more complicated (bone spicules piercing the bladder, concomitant vaginal or rectal injury, bladder neck injury) should undergo operative repair in order to decrease the complication rate. One additional group that should be repaired: patients with pubic diastasis that will require operative fixation. The bladder should be repaired at the time of the orthopedic procedure to avoid bathing the new hardware in urine.

Should bladder be repaired during orthopedic surgery?

The bladder should be repaired at the time of the orthopedic procedure to avoid bathing the new hardware in urine.

Can you do a urinalysis with a CT cystogram?

This is the reason that ordering a urinalysis in major trauma patients is not recommended. However, if gross hematuria is present, CT cystogram is recommended. The sensitivity and specificity are nearly perfect. Just be sure to do a true cystogram by actively filling the bladder with contrast via a urinary catheter.

Can a hematuria be detected on a cystogram?

Patients with microscopic hematuria are very unlikely to have a bladder injury, and any type of bladder imaging in these patients (cystogram, CT cystogram) is almost never positive, and so is not indicated. This is the reason that ordering a urinalysis in major trauma patients is not recommended. However, if gross hematuria is present, CT cystogram ...

Can intraperitoneal rupture heal on its own?

In patients with intraperitoneal bladder rupture from blunt trauma, should operative or nonoperative management be used to decrease complications? Another silly question? In general, intraperitoneal bladder ruptures do not heal on their own, so urine continues to bathe the peritoneal cavity until the injury is fixed. The review article recommended that operative repair be performed in all of these cases.

Can a bladder injury be repaired?

And by the way, most simple bladder injuries (both intra - and extra-peri toneal) can be easily repaired using two layers by your friendly neighborhood trauma surgeon. More complex injuries are generally best left to the urologist. Reference: Management of blunt force bladder injuries: A practice management guideline from ...

Can you do a cystogram with a urinary catheter?

Just be sure to do a true cystogram by actively filling the bladder with contrast via a urinary catheter. Passive filling of the bladder with urine from the IV contrast misses about half of all the injuries. Also, strongly consider adding CT cystogram in patients with widening of the pubic symphysis.

What is bladder rupture?

Bladder rupture, a relatively rare condition, is most commonly due to abdominal or pelvic trauma but may be spontaneous or iatrogenic in association with surgical or endoscopic procedures. In adults, the bladder is well protected within the bony pelvis. As such, the vast majority of bladder injuries occur in association ...

What causes a ruptured bladder?

Bladder rupture is most commonly due to abdominal or pelvic trauma but may be spontaneous or iatrogenic in association with surgical or endoscopic procedures. Pelvic pain and gross hematuria are present in most patients.

What is the weakest part of the bladder?

The weakest part of the bladder is the peritoneal dome. Spontaneous and iatrogenic ruptures are usually intraperitoneal, while traumatic ruptures, especially those associated with pelvic fracture, tend to be extraperitoneal. Bladder rupture may be extraperitoneal or intraperitoneal.

How long does it take for an extraperitoneal rupture to heal?

Extraperitoneal ruptures that do not heal after four weeks of catheter drainage should be considered for surgical repair. Complicated extraperitoneal bladder ruptures, such as those associated with bone fragments within the bladder and those associated with vaginal or rectal injuries, often require operative repair.

How long does it take for a bladder to heal after a catheter?

AUA guidelines recommend that uncomplicated extraperitoneal bladder injuries be managed conservatively with catheter placement. Standard therapy involves leaving the catheter in place for two to three weeks, but it may be left in longer in some cases. Extraperitoneal ruptures that do not heal after four weeks of catheter drainage should be considered for surgical repair. Complicated extraperitoneal bladder ruptures, such as those associated with bone fragments within the bladder and those associated with vaginal or rectal injuries, often require operative repair. Bladder neck injuries often will not heal without surgical repair. Follow-up cystography should be used to confirm healing after treatment with a urinary catheter.

What happens if the bladder rupture is above the peritoneal reflection?

If the bladder rupture is above the peritoneal reflection (on the bladder dome), the urine extravasation will be intraperitoneal.

Why does bladder rupture cause complications?

Complications can occur due to bladder rupture itself because of extravasation of urine in the abdomen or due to its surgical management. Few complications are:

What is the role of the bladder in healing?

When damaged by infection or injury, the organ can mend itself quickly, calling upon specialized cells in its lining to repair tissue and restore a barrier against harmful materials concentrated in urine.

What happens if you remove the bladder lining?

Several layers of specialized tissue in the bladder, the epithelium, act as an internal barrier against waste products in urine that could otherwise seep into the body or cause irritation in the event of a breech to the bladder lining.

What cells move into the urethra and bladder epithelium?

Wolffian duct cells (shown in pink) move into the urethra and bladder epithelium (shown in green) of Dnmt1 mutant mouse embryos. UW-Madison

What cells migrate into the bladder?

The researchers discovered, unexpectedly, that in the Dnmt1-inactivated mice, Wolffian duct epithelial cells migrated into the bladder, transformed to look and behave like bladder cells, and restored the expression of the uroplakin barrier.

What is the protective barrier of the bladder?

Normal bladder epithelium (shown in green) has a protective barrier (shown in red) that protects the underlying tissue from exposure to the contents of urine. Dnmt1-deleted bladder epithelium is damaged and has a broken bladder barrier (indicated by white arrows). Wolffian duct cells replace the damaged bladder epithelium and restore a continuous bladder barrier. UW-Madison

Can non-bladder cells help the bladder?

But a new study in mice from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) shows for the first time that non-bladder cells from a nearby anatomical structure called the Wolffian duct can actually provide an assist. It can contribute cells that migrate to the bladder, adopt bladder-like characteristics, and help restore the organ’s function.

How to repair a ureter?

Injuries in the middle to proximal third of the ureter are often repaired with ureteroureterostomy ( figure 1 ). The proximal ureter around the injury is mobilized for a short segment. This can often be performed with blunt dissection that preserves the periureteral vascular supply. The same is then completed for the distal segment. The two ends should meet, excluding the injured portion, without tension. A healthy portion of the ureter needs to be identified and used for the anastomosis on each end. The injured portion of the ureter can often be removed. Once the two ends are able to reach without tension, spatulation longitudinally is performed to widen the region of anastomosis ( figure 2a and b ). This will allow minor contraction without narrowing the lumen. A stay stitch may be used in each end to minimize tissue handling. The mucosa should not be manipulated with forceps. Using a 4-0 or 5-0 synthetic absorbable suture, the apex of one end is anastomosed to the spatulated portion of the other ( figure 2c ). A full thickness suture is placed with the knot on the outside of the mucosal apposition. Interrupted sutures are placed approximately every 2 to 3 mm to ensure a water tight closure. Once half the anastomosis is completed, a ureteral stent may be placed to facilitate drainage while the injury heals. The ureteral anastomosis is then completed. Post-operatively, a closed suction drain should not be left adjacent to the repair as this may promote further urine leak and fistula formation. If a ureteral stent is placed, it should be removed in 4 to 6 weeks ( figure 3 ).

Why use stay stitch?

A stay stitch may be used in each end to minimize tissue handling. The mucosa should not be manipulated with forceps. Using a 4-0 or 5-0 synthetic absorbable suture, the apex of one end is anastomosed to the spatulated portion of the other ( figure 2c ).

Can a ureter be reinserted into the bladder?

More commonly, injuries occur outside the pelvis. In these cases, a ureteroureterostomy can be performed to restore continuity of the urinary tract. For injuries in the pelvis, commonly a simple ureteral reimplantation into the bladder is the most effective option. The ureter is spatulated and a new opening created in the bladder wall. The ureter is anastomosed to the bladder mucosa with 4-0 or 5-0 absorbable suture, and potential tension on the anastomoses is lessened with a psoas hitch.

Can a ureteral reimplantation be done without a PSOAS hitch?

Injuries occurring in the lower third of the ureter can be repaired with primary ureteral reimplantation with or without a psoas hitch. To prepare the proximal ureteral segment, gentle mobilization of the peritoneum medially is accomplished using a vessel loop around the ureter and bluntly dissecting proximally. The ureteral segment is transected at 90 degrees, followed by ...

When is the best time to repair a ureteral injury?

Clearly, the optimal time for repair of a ureteral injury is during the operation, when it initially occurs. At the time of injury, the tissues are typically in their best condition, where the options and likelihood for success are greatest.

How to avoid ureteral injury?

The most reliable way for surgeons to avoid ureteral injury is to clearly identify the ureter throughout the region of the body that will undergo the operation.#N#For pelvic operations expected to be difficult, or for patients with large pelvic masses, pelvic inflammatory disease, prior pelvic surgery or prior irradiation, the use of preoperative ureteral radiographic imaging by intravenous urography (IVU) or computed tomography (CT) has been widely advocated. However, placement of a stent (a short, narrow tube) in the ureter is not recommended on a routine basis. In fact, most ureteral injuries occur during technically straightforward hysterectomies for minimal disease. (2, 10)#N#In most cases, ureteral identification is not difficult and, thus, preoperative stents are unnecessary. However, stent placement clearly helps identify a ureteral injury when it does occur. Furthermore, if surgical removal is difficult, stents can be placed as part of the operation, with the use of a cystoscope (a type of endoscope, or fiber-optic instrument) or through a small surgical incision of the bladder. When a pelvic tumor is large or ureteral anatomy is distorted on preoperative imaging, preoperative stents may increase the ability to examine the ureters by touch, minimize need for ureteral removal and minimize ureteral kinking by adjacent suturing. (11)#N#The initial point in preventing ureteral injury is acknowledging and recognizing the risk for injury. Regardless of the ureteral position on imaging, it is important to recognize the potential hazards and to identify the ureters despite the presence of disease and through their pelvic course. In general, generous surgical exposure, meticulous surgical technique and visual ureteral identification all are more useful than preoperative body imaging or ureteral stenting.

What percentage of ureteral injuries are a result of a hysterectomy?

(2-4) The ureter is injured in roughly 0.5 to 2 percent of all hysterectomies and routine gynecologic pelvic operations and in 10 percent (range, 5 to 30 percent) of radical hysterectomies. (4-6) Ureteral complications from radical hysterectomy have declined over the years because of improved patient selection, limiting of surgery to mostly low-stage disease, decreased use of preoperative radiation and modifications in surgical technique that limit extreme skeletonization of the ureter. (6) Of ureteral injuries from gynecologic surgery, roughly 50 percent are from radical hysterectomy, 40 percent are from abdominal hysterectomy and less than 5 percent result from vaginal hysterectomy. (1) All gynecologic ureteral injuries occur to the distal one third of the ureter (or in other words, the segment of ureter closest to bladder and in the pelvis).#N#The ureter can be injured during any anterior vaginal wall surgery that extends to the bladder neck (such as vaginal hysterectomy, bladder neck suspension surgery, anterior repair of the vaginal wall, repair of an enterocele [hernia] and neovagina construction). Repair of high-grade pelvic prolapse (that is, grade 4 cystocele [hernia of the bladder] or total uterine prolapse) pose a particular risk for ureteral injury. The majority of ureteral injuries here are during vaginal vault reconstruction or vaginal cuff closure, where sutures can ligate (be tied to) the ureter or kink the ureter by displacing it. Prolapse patients can have extremely dilated and thin ureters that can be enclosed in the prolapse and, thus, be predisposed to potential ureteral injury. (7) Similarly, in pregnancy, the ureters are dilated, exposure is difficult and the risks are increased. Other gynecological procedures that can result in ureteral injury are abdominal oophorectomy (removal of an ovary), pelvic mass resection, removal of a fallopian tube, caesarian section, adnexectomy (removal of one of the uterine tubes and an ovary), extended pelvic lymphadenectomy (removal of lymph nodes) and laparoscopy (a minimally invasive method used to examine the interior of the body or to perform surgery). (8-10)

How is ureteral repair determined?

The method of ureteral repair is determined by many factors, including the location and length of ureteral injury, the time of diagnosis (during the operation, early postoperative or delayed), the type of injury and the presence of associated medical or surgical illnesses.# N#Clearly, the optimal time for repair of a ureteral injury is during the operation, when it initially occurs. At the time of injury, the tissues are typically in their best condition, where the options and likelihood for success are greatest. Immediate recognition and repair allow for better results and fewer complications than in a delayed fashion.#N#Unfortunately, most ureteral injuries from gynecologic surgery (more than 80 percent) are discovered in a delayed fashion. (1) Injuries that are detected after an operation tend to be more complex, require more complex repairs and multiple procedures, and have more complications than those detected and repaired during the operation. (18,19)

What percentage of ureteral injuries are due to gynecologic surgery?

In fact, more than 75 percent of ureteral injuries due to gynecologic surgeries occur during procedures that surgeons describe as uncomplicated and routine and where pelvic anatomy is normal. (10) Hemorrhage (extensive bleeding) during the operation is a clear and main risk factor for ureteral injury.

How long does it take to repair a ureteral laceration?

Partial ureteral lacerations or thermal injuries that are diagnosed during the operation can be managed by endoscopic placement of a ureteral stent (for four to six weeks). Laparoscopic suturing of the lacerated ureter also has been performed successfully. When the ureter has been cut completely, an immediate, open surgical approach is typically needed. (9) If the surgeon is especially skilled and the injury site allows, the ureter can be repaired through the laparoscope. However, most ureteral injuries are diagnosed in a delayed fashion, typically several days after the operation. (20, 21)

How long does it take for ureteral strictures to be diagnosed?

Ureteral strictures that are diagnosed early (within six to12 weeks), are in the portion away from the kidney and are relatively short in length (less than 2 cm) can be managed successfully (in about 50 to 80 percent of cases) by balloon dilatation or endoscopic incision and stenting for six weeks.

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