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Sepsis v Bladder Cancer

Looby-Lou
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My husband is in hospital today awaiting removal of a 2cm lesion from his bladder.  Unfortunately his pre-assessment showed a urinary tract infection, which we only found out about yesterday.  He now has the choice, proceed with the operation today with intravenous antibiotics, which carries a higher risk of sepsis than waiting while the infection is treated and delaying the operation.  However delaying the operation knowing you have a malignant growth is also scary.  This difficult decision is being taken by my husband shortly after speaking with the surgeon again.  My question is - is the risk of sepsis a long term issue throughout his recovery or is it just during the operation.  Obviously if it’s a long term risk I want as much information as possible in recognising and dealing with sepsis.  Any advice would be appreciated.

  • Hi there Looby Lou and thanks for posting

    I am sorry to hear your husband is due surgery today and is found to have a UTI.

    This is a difficult decision for your husband to make and it is important the surgeon explains any risks to him to make an informed choice.

    Unfortunately no one here can give a medical opinion and the choice needs to be made between both the surgeon and your husband.

    There is a risk of a UTI and sepsis with bladder operations but it is my understanding that this will be increased with your husband already having an infection. The risk of sepsis will be through the recovery period following the surgery.

    Like with any infection the signs and symptoms to look out for are a temperature, feeling unwell, needing to pass urine more frequently, pain and discomfort and cloudy urine. Any concerning symptoms should be checked out by a doctor so antibiotics can be given.

    I hope this is helpful and your husband can make the right decision for him.

    Do get back in touch if needed or call us on 0808 800 4040, weekdays 9-5.

    All the best

    Naomi

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