Catheters

[Ruffner]

After a 16 day stay in the hospital and rehab hospital my husband is now home with an indwelling catheter (Foley). His neurologist has recommended a Suprapubic catheter. I am hoping to hear how others have managed this problem. Thank you. Ruffner

[Janeyl]

Suprapubic catheters are much easier to keep clean because of where they sit on the body. This also makes them easier to wash. Suprapubic catheters can be easier to change yourself as well. Some patients find that urethral catheters get caught and pulled by clothing more often.

[Ruffner in reply to Janeyl]

Thank you, Janeyl. I've read pros and cons to both but appreciate hearing from others who have had both.

[Janeyl in reply to Ruffner]

my take would be that a suprapubic solution would ace an indwelling catheter when you think about the probability of UTIs

[ReverendBadger]

i have had an indwelling catheter since June last year. Personally I am happy to stick with it, for the rest of my life, and not have the supra pubic. Both systems require a similar amount of "catheter care" and although some urologists claim a lower risk of UTI with the suprapubic I have been unable to find high quality evidence, e.g. research papers, which support that assertion.

All operations carry some risk so I would want to be convinced of a clear benefit A good chat with your uro;ogist is a must and there will always be the option to live with the current indwelling catheter a bit longer.

I had 3 UTIs in the first 4 months but since then none. I put that down to upping my standards of cleanliness and daily care.

[Ruffner]

Good to hear from you and thank you for your response. My husband is agonizing over this decision. You mentioned that you have upped your cleanliness - how often do you clean the insertion area and do you recommend a product or technique for this. We are cleaning once daily with soap and water. Were the UTIs that you experienced treated easily with antibiotics or did you have complications? Take good care, Ruffner

[CRMACK1948 in reply to Ruffner]

My husband has had a catheter for almost a yearAfter experiencing a few UTI infections he started taking cranberry capsules ( one daily) and saw palmetto.He hasn’t had an infection since.

[Ruffner]

Thanks for the suggestion - we'll give them a try.