Catheterisation

Recently I was discharged from a week in hospital [where I got a UTI on ward] with an indwelling catheter and bag to cope with! This irked me as an active person, but as soon as possible I moved from bag to integral valve control. By wearing a close-fitting pair of briefs over, I was able to get back to full activity walking and in gym etc - a process I would strongly recommend. It was indwelling [regularly changed by a nurse] for 18 months until I could pass the bladder emptying test - which was such a relief!!

vaslav said:

Recently I was discharged from a week in hospital [where I got a UTI on ward] with an indwelling catheter and bag to cope with! This irked me as an active person, but as soon as possible I moved from bag to integral valve control.

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I had the valve control after my last urologist procedure. They gave me bags to use "later" but because they had injected water, my bladder ended up convulsing to release when I stood up off the operating bed. So I had to make a bee line to the washroom. The convulsions were so painful on top of being sore.

I'm sorry both of you had to go through this. I remember having to catheterize myself after back surgery and that was bad enough. But I could at least take the catheter out after I voided and I never got a UTI thank goodness. So my heart goes out to you.

I know I will be probably criticized but I had went through a phase where I would use sounds on my penis. If you're familiar with that, the sound is a curved metal rod that can be long enough to hit the prostate and even the bladder. So a catheter is just a flexible version of a sound. I have played with catheters and found that with the proper cleanliness it is safe to use. I'm not a doctor, but I feel an intermittent catheter would be more of an infection risk than a foley catheter. I figure the more you insert and take out the more the risk. I've also read that the silver catheters are far better at bacteria control.

Pantyman said:

I have played with catheters and found that with the proper cleanliness it is safe to use. I'm not a doctor, but I feel an intermittent catheter would be more of an infection risk than a foley catheter. I figure the more you insert and take out the more the risk. I've also read that the silver catheters are far better at bacteria control.

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You are mistaken. It has long been accepted in the medical community that a Foley catheter creates a much higher risk for infection than an intermittent catheter. More recent studies have found no significant difference in the infection rate. No study that I've found has suggested that intermittent catheters cause a higher rate of infection. I can go into the details of why this is if anybody cares, but it gets pretty technical.

Some evidence suggests that silver-coated Foley catheters (bur not silver oxide-coated) may be better than latex for infection control, but there are no significant differences when comparing silver-coated catheters with silicone Foley catheters.

All this assumes that the catheterization is being done correctly and that the drainage system is sterile and closed. If you don't know how to do clean intermittent catheterization or sterile Foley insertion, your infection risk is going to be higher.

ltaluv said:

I can go into the details of why this is if anybody cares, but it gets pretty technical.

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Please do. Some of us might be medical students or even doctors. Please provide peer reviewed sources for verification. While I'm not making an attempt at shooting you down, I'm simply saying "show us" regardless of what you think people can and cannot understand.

Foley catheters allow deposits such as biofilms to build up on the surface on them so bacteria that starts at the top of the catheter can easily track its way down the catheter and into the bladder. They also act as surfaces for minerals to deposit creating bladder stones another infection risk, the movement of the catheter can irritate the ureteral opening leading to lasting damage (it effectively wears away your hole making it bigger). The Foley cath has long been proven a high risk and controversial medical device. ISC or intermittent catheter is much better as it does not stay in the bladder it only serves to drain it and is then taken away, so long as you follow strict hygiene protocols and drink plenty of fluids your risk of infection is fairly low.