Health & Wellness

Suprapubic Catheters are often used when a long term method of bladder drainage is required. The difference between the Foley Catheter and the Suprapubic Catheter is that the tube in not inserted transurethral. A surgeon makes a small incision just above the pubic bone and places the catheter through the incision into your bladder. There a balloon is inflated with sterile water to secure the catheter in place. Once in place, urine drainage and collection is managed by tubing and various styles of leg and night bags. As with ALL BLADDER DRAINAGE METHODS, cleanliness and fluid intake are a necessity in helping to prevent urinary track infections. For detailed instructions on maintaining your Suprapubic Catheter please refer to the link below.
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If your bladder has been removed (cystectomy) or can no longer hold urine, a new collection pouch needs to be put in place. One way of accomplishing this is through an Ileal Conduit. This procedure is performed by a surgeon and requires much more recovery time than a Suprapubic Catheter. The surgeon uses part of your small intestine to create a new passage, called a diversion, by which urine exits the body into a collection pouch. The small intestine is joined at the base of the ureters and extended out of the abdominal wall. It is there the surgeon will create what is called a stoma, which protrudes a short distance out from the body, so urine can be properly collected away from your skin, avoiding burning or irritation. A flange and pouching system can then adhere to your skin where urine can be collected and drained, intermittently. For more information on procedure and care, please check out the helpful resource
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Before an individual has bladder removal surgery, they are usually left with the decision as to where they want their urine collected, and ultimately disposed of. This can be accomplished by having the collection outside the body via an Ileal Conduit, or internally by surgical procedures such as the Indiana Pouch, or an option called an Orthotopic Neobladder.
The Indiana Pouch is created by the surgeon using a piece of intestine from the patient. The piece of intestine is then formed into a pouch where the ureters are connected and a small “flap” is created as a “check-valve” that allows for urine collection. As the pouch reservoir fills, it will require the individual to periodically insert a catheter through an opening made by the surgeon called a “stoma.” This opening, used for catheterization, is vital so as to not overfill the pouch, causing damage to the kidney’s.

An Orthotopic Neobladder is essentially a “new bladder” that is created by the surgeon, out of the individuals intestine. This “new” bladder allows the patient to retain their urine and void at his or her own will. The word Orthotopic carries the meaning of “as things were.” After the neobladder is constructed and in place and the ureters are attached, a successful candidate will gain continents, as they had before their surgery.