severe pain and discomfort

thanks

not sure of the medical terms it was done with a robot they also removed several linth nodes at the same time

I had a suprapubic one in hospital after heart surgery as theyhad not been able to get a foley in.  I presume at home that the bag is fited to a belt round your waist. In hospital I had that a container for fluid draining from my lung and a ecg monitor to drag around.

How comfortable or uncomfortable was it for you? Have you ever had a Foley to compare it to?

The suprapubic can be fitted to a bag or with a "Flip-Flo" valve. The advantage of the bag is continuous drainage of the bladder if that is required. The advantage of the Fli-Flo valve is no bag to carry around, and you can then empty into a container or toilet when the bladder fills up. The Flip-Flo used properly can also exercise your detrussor muscles which can minimize or eliminate bladder retraining which is sometimes necessary after being on a Foley. You can also go back and forth between the Flip-Flo and bag, as for example the bag at night for uninterrupted sleep and the Flip-Flo during the day.

I've never been on either but seriously looked into the suprapubic when I was having difficulty self cathing in the very beginning. Fortunately, the self cathing worked out so it was unecessary. 

Jim

thanks

i feel a bit embarrassed i'm not very good with the medical terms al i know is the catheter goes up my uretha and into my bladder it has a baloon attached to it to keep it in place i have the bag strapped to my upper leg i've told the doctors although the bag fills up i leak half as much from the penis

The catheter was the least of my problems at that time post surgery.

 I had a bag for two weeks after my second laser procedure and found it a nuisance in bed at night as it tugged when I turned. I was always conscious of it during the day when walking    

Self cathing is probably not an option for him as after prostate removal the problem is incontinence, not retention.

Greg,  I had to wear a Foley for a total time of three months. It was before the surgery and after the surgery for turp. I remember the Foley, would leak when the drainage would get plugged from tissue in the bladder.  It was a real pain wearing that thing!  I am glad that I am now self-cathing.  If you have a choice to self-catheter, I would highly suggest that you do.  I was very hesistant to self-cath, in the beginning.  I didn't think I had to nerve to insert something into my penis, but just after one try, I found it to be a lot  easier than I had thought.  Now I am very used to self-cathing, that I must be concious not to be too careless.  I don't want to run the risk, of an infection.  Good luck!

I was suggesting suprapubic now and self cathing as a latter possiblity if catherization was still needed. BTW self catherization is also used as part of a longer term incontinence strategy. 

Jim

Thats interesting - how does that work? I would think that if you're incontinent you'd be leaking all the time and that would argue against self cathing.

The less in your bladder, the lower the pressures, the less you leak. Self cathing is not the cure all for incontinence but is sometimes used as part of the package.