Click the icon to see an image of male bladder catheterization.

Temporary Catheterization. For people who are still active, catheterization is often very distressing. If possible, temporary, also called intermittent, catheterization is usually the best choice. Patients insert the catheter tube into their urethras, generally every 3 - 4 hours. This type of catheterization carries few risks and empties the bladder completely. Some patients report that they can maintain an active life with no significantly increased risk for infection with some simple precautions:

• Sterilize catheters at home.
• Use a zip lock plastic bag for carrying them when leaving home.
• Use another plastic bag for antiseptic cleansing solution.
• When using public bathrooms, wash before and after catheterization. Touch as few places in the bathroom as possible.

Permanent Catheterization. People who are mentally or physically incapable of self-catheterization may need permanent catheterization.

• The permanent catheter is inserted by a doctor or nurse into the opening of the bladder and a cuff is inflated to hold the tube in place. (A suprapubic tube may be recommended for long-term use. It is an indwelling catheter that is surgically placed directly into the bladder through the abdomen. The catheter is inserted above the pubic bone.)
• Urine drains to an external collection device, which is generally strapped to the leg and must be emptied periodically.

Nonsurgical catheterization procedures are generally not painful, but there is a substantial increased risk of infection. Many doctors feel that the catheter is overused, especially in the elderly.

External Collection Devices. External catheter and collection devices include:

• Condom catheters. Condom catheters are much more satisfactory than standard catheters for many male patients, although there is more spillage. The condom is worn all day and at night it is removed and washed for reuse the next day.
• Collection devices attached to the leg. For chronic or severe incontinence, collective devices drain urine into a bag that is attached to the lower leg and emptied periodically. These are generally more successful for men than women. Urine can be funneled into the tube by a pouch surrounding the penis. The positioning of the collecting device is difficult for women, and more accidents occur. For both men and women, irritation of the area around the urethral opening is a problem, since urine is in contact with the area for long periods.

• < Page
1 2 3
• >

Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)