New Delhi: We hear of rarest cases like water allergy but when it comes to bodily functions, it is rarest of rare to find a case where one can operate differently than usual. The case of Steph Aiello, from California, US, is one such occurrence. In a shocking revelation, Aiello revealed that she could pee from her belly button and eyes when her bladder was full and this started to occur after a car accident left her paralysed. The 26-year-old was in a major car crash that paralysed her from the waist down – and while sharing with her Instagram followers about this rare event, she tried to break the stigma around her struggle.
In an Instagram video, Aiello opened up about what signals her that she needs to use the toilet. She spoke about it in the video and revealed that her eyes start to water and that is a hint – medically, this immune reaction is known as autonomic dysreflexia, an excessive nervous response to stimulation. This also involves sweating, her heart racing, and a rapid rise in blood pressure.
Doctors say that such events are common in people dealing with a spinal cord injury – when the bladder is full and needs to be emptied. She revealed that she has to stick a catheter into her belly button to make it reach the bladder. This then allows her to urinate. Once done, she sticks her thumb into a loop on the bag which allows her to slowly pull it out. She then takes the catheter in her hand puts it back, and pushes it with her palm.
Before the surgery which led to this change, Steph had received Botox shots twice a year to relax the bladder muscles and retain more urine. Botox can also help with chronic anal fissures and it can help muscles relax to heal fissures. But with Mitrofanoff surgery, Steph got a permanent solution – it connected the bladder to the skin surface or intestines or appendix which allows her to pee through the catheter. But since the appendix was big, the intestines were not required.
What is Mitrofanoff surgery?
The Mitrofanoff surgery helps create a bladder-to-skin channel which helps drain urine out. In this case, surgeons use a small piece of the intestine or the appendix. Post-surgery, patients can insert a catheter through the opening to urinate comfortably.
In an Instagram video, Aiello opened up about what signals her that she needs to use the toilet. She spoke about it in the video and revealed that her eyes start to water and that is a hint – medically, this immune reaction is known as autonomic dysreflexia, an excessive nervous response to stimulation. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
