How to Retrain Your Bladder After Bladder Lift Surgery

While bladder-lift surgery might be medically necessary to correct an existing problem, it will likely require you to go through a period of rehabilitation after the surgery itself to retrain your body to use the bathroom on command. This process can last for several weeks to several months, so do not be worried at a seeming lack of progress. Just keep plugging away with your regular training and exercise regime and you will regain a full measure of continence before you know it.

Instructions

Bladder Retraining

• 1

  Set yourself a regular schedule for use of the bathroom, and hold to it religiously unless you must deviate due to preexisting social obligations or an impending urinary crisis. Although you will likely feel as though you must use the bathroom on a near-constant basis at first, only allow yourself to use the restroom once per hour, on the hour. According to the medical site WDXCyber.org, this should occur regardless of whether you feel as though you have to use the restroom or not--train your body to go on command.

• 2

  Increase the duration between bathroom visits by 30 minutes once you feel that you have "mastered" the once-an-hour cycle. This means using the bathroom once every 90 minutes regardless of whether you have to go or not. Once you have a handle on that, increase the time yet again to using the bathroom only every 120 minutes. Continue increasing the time as needed until you feel that you have fully restored your bladder functionality.

• 3

  Practice Kegel exercises by repeated squeezing your pelvic floor muscles (the muscles you use to halt urinary flow) to further improve bladder function. Aim to perform Kegels in the morning when you wake up and before you go to bed at night. Perform 50 to 100 reps (squeezing briefly then releasing) to improve your control over your bladder.