External Catheters: The Boon of Latest Technology

Catheters are sure-fire ways to help urinary incontinence in both men and women. Being medical devices they are used to drain the bladder by inserting them into the patient’s bladder through the urethra. The whole process is called “Catheterization” and is generally done by a clinician, often a nurse, although self-catheterization is possible as well where the patient has been trained to perform the procedure himself or herself. Catheterization can be recommended to treat following medical conditions:

•Urinary incontinence (leakage of urine or the inability to control when you urinate)
•Urinary retention (being unable to empty the bladder when you need to)
•Surgery that made a catheter necessary, such as prostate or gynecological surgery
•Other medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or dementia

Catheters can be used in several different ways: they can be put intermittently into the bladder, placed on a more permanent basis (indwelling urethral catheterization) or placed through the stomach (suprapubic) into the bladder by way of surgery. They can also be used on the outside for men (external condom catheters). External systems, also commonly referred to as condom cath, or Texas Catheter, are available for men to aid in the treatment of incontinence and a variety of other medical diagnoses and daily conditions. These catheters don't need to be inserted into the urethra and just require that you can control the urinary muscles in order to drain your bladder.

Safer to use than internal catheters, an external catheter generally fits over the penis and connects to a drainage bag that is strapped to your leg. Made from latex rubber, polyvinyl, or silicone materials, external catheters are available in market in several different sizes. Many of this type are disposable and generally are reliable for about a day or two, which serves the purpose if the need is temporary. However, there are reusable external catheters for active men with incontinence, and are often used as an alternative to diapers and pads.

However the risk of infection is less in using condom catheters than inserting a tube into the urethra, a careful attention must be given to avoid skin rash, maceration of the penis, ischemia, and penile obstruction. It is required that you wash your hands before starting with your external catheter. You should also wash, rinse, and dry your penis before each catheter change and if required the penis could be coated with protective ointment to protect skin from urine.