Hello Twist
I had an SPC about 3 years ago for 6 months and I hated it.
I was encouraged by everyone who had positive things to say about theirs and went ahead because, like you Iād been doing ISC for some years and my hands were getting worse so thought it would be easier. I also thought Iād be able to use a flip/flo valve so wouldnāt need to worry about a leg bag.
I had the operation in March and stayed in just overnight. I had the staff fit me out with a valve. What no one had considered was that until the wound is healed up completely the valve wouldnāt work. In the car on the way home from the hospital I just began leaking (then flooding) from the wound.
So I was stuck with a leg bag for at least the beginning. In fact I didnāt try a valve again until just before I had the SPC removed, I wanted to make sure I could still hold urine without being incontinent (I could).
I straight away had trouble with the wound dressings, super sensitive skin gave me allergic reactions to most types. Eventually I found one that didnāt. But I had a wound infection that just wouldnāt clear up regardless of treatment creams. I was forever seeing the nurse at the GP surgery (we are of course on first name terms now!). In fact when I saw the urologist, just before it was taken out, she told me the infection could be sorted just like that with some silver oxide (I think it was).
I also had a series of UTIs the whole time pretty much I had the SPC. 5 separate infections in 6 months. No sooner did I get clear of one bacteria, then I got another (or an underlying one reared up again). I had the catheter changed fairly frequently, often as soon as I tested clear for UTI (you canāt replace the catheter while having a current UTI!)
Every time the catheter was changed I had the most horrible painful spasms. I was so envious of everyone who had nice easy, ābarely felt itā, changes.
When I saw the urology surgeon at the 6 month review, I told her all the trouble Iād had. She offered to sort out the wound infection, or she said āI could just remove it now!ā I said āyes please, just get rid of itā. I went straight back to ISC with no problems**.**
Then last November I broke my femur (sorted with a plate screwed into my hip and knee) and had an indwelling Foley catheter for the time I was in hospital and then in rehab. By chance, I had an appointment with my lovely urologist while I was in the rehab unit. As at that point the physiotherapist told me Iād be unlikely to stand and transfer independently, we agreed that Iād have another go at an SPC. I got as far as the pre-op before Covid hit, then all non-urgent surgery was put on indefinite hold. In the meantime Iād learnt to stand and had the indwelling catheter removed. I decided to leave my name on the SPC waiting list anyway while I went back to ISC.
Subsequently, Iāve begun to experience what I think are bladder spasms. So I thought having an SPC plus bladder spasms is likely to make me bypass the catheter and need to use incontinence pads. (Defeating the object really of the SPC!) So decided to try for a phone appointment with the urologist, which was arranged very speedily by her secretary (Covid has actually led to some improvements in getting appointments if phone calls are all thatās needed imo).
We agreed on my own feelings, that bypassing would be likely with an SPC, therefore urodynamics would be useful before I went ahead with surgery. So she took me off the list for SPC and put me on one for urodynamics (this will detect spasms or otherwise). We then discussed anti-cholinergic drugs to stop spasms, several of them Iād tried before and had bad side effects. She then agreed one called Trospium might work, so Iāve been using that. It seems to help a bit.
So this is clearly my own personal experience. Many people have SPCs and get on with them perfectly well. Many people use flip/flow valves on their SPC (you need a slightly longer catheter output lead to use one so you then have a small problem of how to tuck that away).
Good luck with your choice.
Sue