Bladder accidently Injured During Surgery

Dear Ask The Doctor: I had my tubal reversed yesterday, and during the procedure (they had to cut through C-section scar tissue) he accidently "knicked" my bladder and had to put in some stitches. As a result i have to wear a catheter for a week. I was wondering whether there will be any long term effects from this and what I should expect?

Dear Camille: There are two issues here: the possibility of pregnancy and the possibility of surgical side effects.

The success of tubal ligation reversal is dependant on the method used to "tie" the tubes.  In North America, three common procedures are used: Removal of the fallopian tubes, cauterization of the fallopian tubes, and clamping of the fallopian tubes.

Clamping causes the least amount of damage to the fallopian tubes and has the highest success rate for reversals.

The injury you described to the bladder is a known surgical complication of pelvic surgery.  It should not cause any long term complications for pregnancy or for your bladder.

At your next follow up, it is a good idea to discuss any concerns with your surgeon.