Urological patients are placed with intermittent, continuous urinary catheters or suprapubic bladder drainage tubes, depending on the case.
Dr. CCKI Phan Huynh Tien Dat, Department of Urology, Center of Urology – Nephrology – Andrology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that placing a urinary catheter is a commonly applied medical procedure to guide Stores urine from the bladder when the patient cannot urinate naturally. Commonly used types of urinary catheters include:
Intermittent urinary catheter is a type for short-term use, withdrawn after draining all the urine from the bladder. The doctor lubricates one end of the tube and inserts it into the bladder through the urethra, and the other end connects to the urine collection bag.
Continuous catheter commonly called a Foley catheter. This type of tube is placed in the bladder for a long time, up to 90 days, depending on the case, and then replaced to avoid the risk of infection. The end of the tube connects to a urine collection bag with an open or closed valve to help the patient or caregiver actively discharge urine. The procedure for continuous catheterization is similar to intermittent catheterization.
Suprapubic bladder drainage tube is a type of urinary catheter with one end placed into the bladder through a small 1 cm hole in the abdomen, the other end connected to a urine collection bag. Urine is drained directly from the bladder out of the body without going through the urethra as usual. To place the tube, the doctor performs surgery to open the bladder to the skin, and the patient is given general anesthesia.
This form of urinary catheterization is often prescribed for patients with urethral injuries (urethral obstruction, urethritis…); Unsuccessful regular catheterization, just undergone complicated bladder surgery… The patient needs to go to the hospital for a new catheter every 4-8 weeks to avoid infection.
Doctor Tien Dat (left) operates on a patient. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
The duration of wearing a urinary catheter is different for each patient. People who need to wear a time tube after being discharged from the hospital are given specific instructions on how to disassemble, replace, clean and care for them at home.
Doctor Tien Dat recommends that during the catheterization period, if the patient notices cloudy urine, chills, high fever, urine leakage around the catheter, pain in the lower abdomen or at the catheter placement site… they should see a doctor. The hospital re-examines to determine the cause and treat appropriately.