Kidney & Ureteral Stones
What to Expect After Discharge
- Pain Control: You can expect to have some pain that may require pain medication for a few days after discharge, and then Tylenol should be sufficient to control your pain.
- Activity: Taking walks is advised. Prolonged sitting or lying in bed should be avoided. Climbing stairs is allowed. Driving should be avoided for at least 1-2 weeks after surgery. Activity can begin as tolerated. You can expect to return to work about two weeks after surgery or as instructed by your physician.
- Follow-up Appointment: Please call after your discharge to schedule a follow up visit for one week after your surgery date.
- Stent follow up: If you have a stent in place, the length of time the stent remains in place is variable. Your doctor will probably request it to be removed within a 2-6 week period. This can be removed in the doctor's office. It is common to feel a slight amount of flank fullness and urgency to void, which is caused by the stent. These symptoms often improve over time if the stent is left in place for a while.
-
Nephrostomy Site Care: It is important that urine flow freely through the tube. Check daily to make sure the tube is not kinked. Make sure the stopcock, if present, remains in the open position to allow urine to drain. Keep the tube secure using folded 4x4 dressings around the tube, in a picture frame fashion (see diagrams).
Start with the folded gauze pad underneath the tube, for support and then continue around the tube with the folded sides facing the tube to support it. Place one 4x4 gauze pad on top and then secure the tape over this pad. Secure the tubing to your leg if open to drainage, leaving enough slack on the tube to prevent dislodgement of the tube upon movement. Monitor the amount of drainage, color and odor. Blood-tinged urine is not uncommon. Keep the drainage bag below the level of the kidney to promote gravity drainage. It is important to clean the area around the insertion site with hydrogen peroxide each day during your dressing change. You can shower with the dressing on, and then change it after the shower. You will need assistance in doing this dressing change.
- Tubes open to drainage: If you experience any pain, fever, chills, or lack of drainage from the tube while you are open to a drainage bag, contact your physician immediately. Some yellowish material around the tube is normal, as this is the body's reaction to the tube. If the drainage is foul-smelling or looks like "pus", contact your physician or nurse.
- Clamped tubes: If you experience any pain, fever, chills, or leakage around the tube, open your nephrostomy tube immediately to the drainage bag provided to you prior to leaving the hospital. If the urine drains, and the pain and fever subside, leave the tube to drainage and notify your physician or nurse. If the tube does not drain and your symptoms persist you may need to be seen on an urgent basis to have the tube flushed. Again, notify your physician or come to the emergency room. If there is any foul-smelling drainage around the tube site, let us know, as this may be the sign of a local infection. Some drainage is normal.
