Frequently Asked Questions

If you think you are passing a kidney stone and have significant pain, uncontrollable nausea or a fever greater than 101.5 F, you should be evaluated in an emergency room.

Passing a kidney stone can be very painful. You may have pain in your side or flank, possibly radiating to your groin. Typically, the pain comes and goes. Pain may also be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting. You may also see dark urine or even blood in your urine.

If you think you are passing a stone, try to drink as many fluids as possible. Sometimes sitting in a warm tub helps. You can also take Tylenol. Try to avoid aspirin/ibuprofen products as they can thin the blood and make you ineligible for shock wave therapy. If the pain is severe and cannot wait until our office opens (8:30 am, Mon. - Fri.), go to the nearest emergency room for evaluation. 

Again, if you have a fever of more than 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit or uncontrollable nausea such that you cannot keep liquids down, please go to the emergency room.
Otherwise, call our office at 8:30 am, Monday through Friday and inform us of your problem.

If you are experiencing difficulty with urinating, there are many possible causes:

• Urinary tract infection
• Enlarged prostate
• Recent surgery/anesthesia
• Taking certain decongestants/antihistamines
• Taking certain bladder spasm medications
• Vaginal prolapse

Things you can do to help with urination include:

• Sitting in a tub of warm water. This may help to relax the muscles that aid in urination.
• Taking prostate medications as prescribed by your doctor or urologist.
• Stopping the use of decongestants/antihistamines if you have been using them.

In the event that you are completely unable to urinate, we can evaluate you in the office during business hours (8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday). If this problem occurs after-hours or on a weekend or holiday, please go to the nearest emergency room.

Urinary urgency and frequency can be quite bothersome. These symptoms can occur suddenly and are often associated with painful urination. The most common cause of these problems is a simple bladder infection.

Several immediate steps may be helpful:

1. Stay hydrated by drinking large amounts of water which will help your symptoms.
2. Take an over-the-counter drug called azo standard/cystex that may alleviate your painful urination.
3. Tylenol/ibuprofen may be taken to decrease the discomfort.

If your symptoms start during the weekend, you can have a urine culture obtained on Monday. If your symptoms start after office hours during the week, you can have a urine culture obtained the next day. A urine culture is helpful to identify the type of bacteria so that the appropriate antibiotic can be given.

While a vasectomy is usually a straightforward surgical procedure, there are some potential complications that can occur. First, some reminders:

• Stay off of your feet for a few days, and avoid strenuous activity for at least one week.
• It may take up to two weeks for the discomfort to resolve.
• An ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables can help with the pain.
• Avoid aspirin products and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or Aleve for a week unless instructed otherwise by your doctor, as they can thin your blood and result in bleeding.
• Use Tylenol or other pain medicines as prescribed by your doctor for pain control.
• You may shower the day after your procedure, but do not soak in the tub, jacuzzi, pool, etc. for at least 7 days.
• We recommend a jock or supportive underwear for three to four days.
• It is a good idea to avoid sexual activity until the pain resolves, typically one to two weeks.

Remember that some bruising and swelling is expected. If the entire scrotum becomes black and blue, or if you feel you are experiencing more swelling or bruising than is typical, please call your doctor. Keep the surgical site clean with soap and water as best you can. Over the counter antibiotic ointment is not required, but you may use some on the incision if you wish. Hydrogen peroxide on a q-tip is also permissible. Any bloody drainage usually stops in a few days, but a few gauze pads in your underwear can prevent this from soiling your clothes.

Change any padding daily after your operation. If you are experiencing more than a little redness (more that a dime size), or if you experience fever more than 101 degrees, or drainage (especially if it does not appear to be decreasing), please call.
 
A swollen testicle or a firm lump at the vasectomy site, while rare, does happen and can be associated with much more pain than the typical patient experiences. If you feel your pain is significantly more than expected, please call.

CONTINUE TO USE CONTRACEPTION UNTIL STERILITY IS CONFIRMED! You must ejaculate at least 20 times and bring a fresh semen sample to the office after vasectomy at 6 and 8 weeks. You are considered sterile only after microscopic confirmation by a urologist at our office. Place the semen in the cup provided with your name, date of birth and phone number.

Seeing blood in your urine can be an alarming sight. In medical terms this is called gross hematuria. There are a variety of possible causes, the most common being urinary tract infection (cystitis, prostatitis, etc.). Other common causes include kidney stones, enlarged prostate, and recent urologic procedures. More serious conditions, such as bladder, kidney, or prostate cancer, can also cause blood in the urine. Your urologist will do tests to determine the cause and a cystoscopy (look into the bladder).

Occasionally the bleeding can be severe enough that blood clots will form. You likely will be able to pass these clots, but they can get large or numerous enough to block the bladder outlet. If this happens, you will have pain from having a full bladder and will need to call our office or go to the Emergency Room for evaluation.

Many patients require the placement of a foley catheter for a period of time. If you have been sent home with one, the nurse should have instructed you on routine catheter care, use of a leg bag, etc. Common problems include:

A variety of surgical procedures are performed by our urologists at Carolina Urological Associates. While each surgeon should have discussed your particular procedure and the post-operative care in detail, often questions arise in the first few days after being discharged from the hospital. The following are some general considerations.

Showers are permitted unless your physician specifically prohibited them. Any soaking water such as a bath, pool, jacuzzi, or pond should be avoided. Wait at least two weeks and until any staples are removed before soaking your incision in water.

Most patients are discharged home on a regular diet. However, often patients experience a lack of hunger or constipation and some nausea after an abdominal procedure. Do not hesitate to back off on heavy foods and drink liquids and soups and bland food if you feel nauseous. If you remain constipated, add an additional stool softener to your regimen and try to limit the number of pain medications you take as this is often the source of your constipation. If you feel nauseous, please call the office for additional medicines.

All patients are encouraged to walk frequently after a surgical procedure. Unless you have been told otherwise, you are allowed to go up and down stairs. Try to avoid lifting anything heavier than ten pounds (about a full gallon of milk) for the first four to six weeks post-operatively.

You should expect some redness around your incision, particularly if you have surgical staples. Also incisions will often have a small amount of yellowish discharge. However, if you notice redness that is increasing or goes more than a couple of centimeters beyond the incision, or more than a few drops of discharge, please call the office for evaluation.

If you had a recent procedure that required the placement of a ureteral stent (a thin tube from your kidney to the bladder), you may experience the following:

• Burning and irritation when urinating
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Urinating in small amounts
• Blood in urine or dark urine
• Discomfort or pain in the kidney/flank area when urinating

These are normal and expected side effects from the stent. You can take Azo-standard (over the counter) to help with the frequency and burning. If your urologist prescribed pain medication you may take that as well.

Most stents are removed in the office with a simple procedure. In some cases, they may need to be in for longer periods but must be changed periodically as determined by your doctor. Your urologist should inform you or your family member how long the stent is needed.