Turbt Results

[julia-mag]

What is the longest time anyone has had to wait for the results from a TURBt op? We have waited 11 weeks now and I have been asking all around all the time and feel I am being 'side-lined'. The Urology secretary told me last Wed (not this Wed) that the results were there and someone would ring me in a couple of days. BUT no such call and I have not been out!

[Sqad]

\\\\What is the longest time anyone has had to wait for the results from a TURBt op?\\\

I don't understand the question. Do you mean the biopsy result of the prostate from a TUR op?

[Sqad]

Ah!...you mean the biopsy result from an excision of a bladder lesion.

2 weeks would be acceptable, 3 weeks tolerable but 11 WEEKS would be totally unacceptable.

Go to your GP and get him to ring the Consultant's secretary.

This is worse than 3rd world medicine and one wonders what is happening to the NHS, the "Envy of the World?"

[julia-mag]

Thanks Squad, I'm afraid my brain went faster than my fingers and missed out the biopsy part!! I have approached my GP 3 weeks ago and thought she would chase it up, as the Hospital discharge letter had a number of inaccuracies on it (such as saying his catheter was removed, yet he was sent home with a permanent catheter in, and no follow-up was required, WHY NOT if they did not know the results so no Doctor has seen him since his discharge The first pre-op exam said the tumour looked cancerous so we have been sitting on tenterhooks waiting! I really thought my GP would chase this up but all I got a couple of days later was her secretary rang me to say they have had no results. I am now thinking I will have to ask to see his medical records for this problem- would that be allowed? and more to the point how long would it take?

[Sqad]

I find this difficult to believe and can only assume that a mistake has been made somewhere along the line.

You need to know if it is cancerous or not.
You need to know who is to supervise his catheter.
You need to know if further treatment for his "tumour" is needed.

OR...some member of the family needs to know the answer to the above question.

In my mind, given that the above facts are accurate, then I would seek legal advice........sue the hospital.

In the meantime, the medical records are the property of the hospital and can only be seen by your by a legal process. I would make an appt at your GP's and do not leave his/her surgery until all your questions are answered.

[julia-mag]

I will tell you a bit more about this and why (I am his wife) I am feeling aggrieved, because when he nhap the op he was kept in for 2 nights (normal), and I went to collect him as required on the Friday afternoon at 4pm and whilst waiting for him to go to the toilet he called the nurse because he was passing blood instead of urine, but she said oh that ok, so we went home and from then on he was in ever increasing agony, just passing blood not urine but he did not want to go back into hospital , just get a doctor he said, well surgeries at 11pm closed so rang 111 and that was nightmare they prom,ised to call me back and I waited till 2 a.m.but no call-back by which time I was shattered, he had fallen asleep upstairs and I thought perhaps he will be better in the morning, but at 4am he woke me in agony and I called 111 again who said they had called me back at 2.25am - they called the out of hours doctor who sent him straight back into hospital where he remained for 5 weeks! 3 weeks of that was because they wanted to get a care package in order, they never told me he had to have his catheter bag changed weekly so he had the first one in for four weeks, and now the district nurses are going to show me how to change it for him!. All of this is absolute truth,and as he has dementia it is very hard work coping with it . I tried the urology secretary at the Hospital this morning only to find she does not work on Fridays!. What else is there?

[Sqad]

A truly horror story of a Health Service in rapid decline.

What more can you do?

The bleed and pain that he had before going back into hospital was a "clot retention" a situation not uncommon following bladder operations and a call to the GP or hospital would have got him re-admitted.

111 is and always has been an expensive waste of time and should be abolished.

As I said, go to your GP, sit in his surgery until all your questions have been answered.

[julia-mag]

I spoke to someone in the Medical records dept of our surgery this afternoon who has promised to ring the hospital herself and sort this all out for me, and ring me back. Do I think this will happen !!! I feel so cynical now, but it takes almost 2 weeks to get an appointment at our surgery unless it is URGENT and then you have to book before 10 o/clock. Come back the days when you could go to your docs, pay your 3/6d and be seen there and then.

[Mamyalynne]

I can add nothing to what Sqad has said Julia but I will echo it.


You have both been treated dreadfully and it pains me to say it but at times when you are low on reserves you have to dredge up your loudest most assertive self to get help.

Hope you get some sense and support very soon.

[julia-mag]

talking on here helps to alleviate the tension that all these problems bring, and thank-you for your helpful words Squad and yours Mamylynne I will hopefully get some 'fight' back again but as of right now I feel battered at having to fight so many departments at once !!!!! Must get my head down into a quiz LOL !!

[campbellking]

Julia, contact the PALs team at your hospital and ask them to investigate this. This is poor practice on their part.

[julia-mag]

Thank-you for that information Campbellking, I was not aware of PALS at all, so I checked and our Hospital does have them there so will try and get to see them next week,I presume they dont work week-ends. !

[tinkerbell23]

11 wks is a disgrace.... I am a urology nurse.

Our usual is 2-3wks.

We advise the cathater tube is changed 12wkly & the leg bag weekly, with a nightbag each night-

District nurses for the tube & usually educate the patient or family if appropriate to do the bags. If not a package of care is arranged.

Why does he still need the cathater was he passing urine ok before?

What a horrible situation- id definately complain. X

[tinkerbell23]

Have DNs visited? Have you cathater supplies?
Are you ok with emptying the bag??....

So sorry for you x

[julia-mag]

Well, my daughter apparently (without my knowledge) contacted PALS at our hospital 2 weeks earlier and had received no reply, I have now spoken to them and all of a sudden I have been inundated with phone calls regarding this problem. My Doctor rang next day apologising profusely that I had not been told etc etc, and the Hospital rang and told me to expect a call from specialist urology nurse which came just as I put the phone down. She was under the impression from their records that he was free of catheter, and was astounded when I related all the problems we have had. She read out the results to me and confirmed he has an appointment for 2 weeks time (which we had not been told about) and said she was going to inform Matron of the state of affairs in our case. We have now been supplied with all the necessary equipment to cope with the catheter, but they are going to try him without catheter for 1 day to see if it works OK, If not then it will be put back. The release of the pressure and stress for us is immense. Many many thanks for everyones contribution to my query.