Insertion of a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into the bladder to drain urine. Catheters may be used temporarily, such as during surgery and recovery, or continuously in people who cannot retain urine normally or empty their bladder. Typically, the catheter has a balloon tip that is inflated with air or sterile liquid to hold it in place after it is inserted. The balloon is then deflated to remove the catheter. The urine drains into a bag that is emptied periodically.
The process of introducing a sterile catheter, a flexible tube, into the bladder to facilitate the drainage of urine from the body.
Urinary catheterization is performed in situations where an individual experiences difficulty in emptying the bladder voluntarily or is unable to control urine flow. This procedure is also conducted during specific surgical interventions where a distended bladder could obstruct the surgeon’s visibility of nearby organs. Additionally, it is utilized in bladder function assessments like cystometry and cystourethrography, as well as for monitoring urine output in critically ill patients.
There are two primary techniques for urinary catheterization: urethral catheterization and suprapubic catheterization. Suprapubic catheterization is employed when the passage of a catheter through the urethra is not feasible, such as in cases where the urethra is unusually narrow. In this method, a catheter is directly inserted into the bladder through the abdominal wall. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.