Posted , 7 users are following.
Am due to have the above procedure in the next couple of months. I would like to know how long the procedure takes, is it a general anesthetic or local, and does one stay in Hospital the night.
Thank you
Robin
0 likes, 14 replies
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Dawnay robin25259
Posted
A suprapublic catheter is simply a cathether they put into your belly via a tiny hole, so you pee out the tube into the catheter instead of through your penis. It only takes a couple minutes, you won't know it's there except for dragging around a bag that you will need to empty occasionally. You'll be given a local anesthetic but no hospital stay is necessary.
robin25259 Dawnay
Posted
jimjames robin25259
Posted
Hi Robin,
The procedure can be done in the hospital or in a doctor's office. Under local or general anathesia. You should therefore check with whoever is doing the procedure to find out the particulars including if an overnight stay is indicated.
Can I ask why you're doing the suprapubic and for how long will it stay in?
Suprapubic's are usually superior to Foley's for extended catherization but inferior to self catherization in many cases. With suprapubic, there will be no tube in your urethra like a Foley, but you will have a thin tube coming out of your lower abdomen which will either be attached to a bag or drained with a flip-flo valve. It will also have to be changed periodically.
Self catherization can usually accomplish the same thing. It's a fairly easy to learn procedure that lets you empty your bladder completely in just a couple of minutes. There will be no permanent tubes inside you like with Foley or suprapubic.
Jim
robin25259 jimjames
Posted
Robin
jimjames robin25259
Posted
Good luck with the suprapubic. Definitely superior to the Foley for extended use. Depending on what you want to accomplish, consider having a Flip-Flo valve installed. That will free you from the collection bag when you want and also may be better for bladder rehab as it will excercise your detrussor muscles and let you void at timed intervals as opposed to just dripping out all the time. Alternatively, you could use the Flip Flo valve during the day and the bag at night for uninterrupted sleep.
Sorry about your self cath experience. I almost fainted at the uro's office the first time I had to do it. The first few weeks were difficult but gradually things got better. Today, self cathing is about as traumatic as brushing my teeth and takes less time! Just wanted to mention this because if at some point you want a suprapubic alternative, consider finding a good cath nurse to walk you though the process. I think some of my initial problems were that I didn't have the right person to guide me. Good luck.
Jim
robin25259 jimjames
Posted
Thanks again for your advice
Robin
glenn77 robin25259
Posted
Let me recommend that you consider using a collection bag and tube made by Hollister. I am using a condom cather nearly every day (instead of adult pull ups which I can't stand due to my total incontinence). The tubing is soft and flexible, and I wear the bag between the knee and the ankle. I find the 19 oz bag to be more than adequate. To drain the bag, I raise a toilet lid, place my foot on the edge of the bowl, rotate the lever for the valve 90 degrees, and it drains in 10-15 seconds. I had previously tried bags worn above the knee and couldn't keep them in place. The wide (1"
straps for the hollister bags are easy to connect to the bage, are comfortable and they stay in place.
glenn77
Posted
Where that smiley face came from is a mystery; I typed only 1 and an inch sign. Let me try that again. 1"
glenn77
Posted
and being curious, I will type open parenthesis 1 and ". (1"
robin25259 glenn77
Posted
kenneth1955 robin25259
Posted
Robin. Have you not talked it over with your doctor. He should have explained it do you and told you everything he was going to do. Before you have it done talk with your doctor and don't let him leave until he explaines it all to you. Also you can go on the internet and you can see the procedure done Take it easy Ken
robin25259 kenneth1955
Posted
Thanks for your advice Kenneth. Havent seen Urologist since self catherising failed. Seeing him on 3rd March.
Have been on YouTube and watched procedure but not sure if it is done the same way in N>Z>
Robin
kenneth1955 robin25259
Posted
john13360 robin25259
Posted
Nowadays this is likely to be done under local anaesthetic by an intervention radiologist and should take only a few minutes. Painless.
So far so good.
The catheter will then be inserted and connected to a valve at the outer end and, perhaps, a drainage bag.
It's important that the catheter and the valve fit reliably together. The common Bard Flip-Flo valves don't make a very reliable connection with some other makes of catheter, especially Rusch catheters.
It's highly convenient to do without the bag and if your doctors suggest that, go for it. That, however, brings another problem -- how to locate the loose end of the catheter. When using a bag, the readily-available Statlock clip which sticks to your leg is fine. If you don't use the bag, it's not really convenient to have the loose end of the catheter stuck to your leg. I haven't found a commercial answer but eventually took matters into my own hands and made up a waist belt with a 5" webbing drop piece with the clip from a Statlock sewn on the thend to hold the catheter just above the valve -- convenient and comfortable.
Many people find that the stoma is inclined to leak gunge and it's customary to tape a bit of gauze loosely over the area where the catheter comes through the skin -- it keeps clothes clean. I prefer a large island dressing -- a Bandaid about 4" square, changed daily. It also helps avoid unintended tension on the cathter.
With any catheter you may experience occasional bleeding from the inner wall of the bladder. If you're doing anything energetic, you may well find a slight blood stain to the urine.
Change intervals vary -- about 8 weeks is usually a safe interval.