FOLEY CATHETER x10

A Foley catheter is a device that drains urine (pee) from your urinary bladder into a collection bag outside of your body when you can’t pee on your own or for various medical reasons. Another name for a Foley catheter is an indwelling urinary catheter.

It consists of a thin, flexible rubber or plastic tube that goes through your urethra into your bladder. There are two separate pathways (channels) that run the entire length of the tube. One pathway is a drainage port. It allows pee to drain from your bladder into a collection bag. The other pathway connects to a balloon at the tip of the tube in your bladder. Healthcare providers use this channel to fill the balloon with sterile water. The full balloon holds the Foley catheter in place in your bladder.

While you’re awake, the catheter connects to a collection bag that attaches to your leg. While you’re sleeping, you may wear a larger collection bag that hangs from a hook or rests on a flat surface near your bed.

Foley catheters are safe. They come in different sizes so that people of any age or size can use them.

Healthcare providers most commonly use Foley catheters to drain pee from your bladder when you can’t pee on your own. This may result from:

• Urinary incontinence.
• Urinary retention.
• Prostate enlargement.
• Surgery on your prostate or genitals.
• An epidural, which can cause you to temporarily lose control of your bladder.
• Scarring.

Other Foley catheter uses include:

• Draining a bladder during surgery.
• Getting an exact rate of urine production in a hospital setting.
• Controlling bleeding that occurs from an injury or during surgery.
• Delivering medicine directly to your bladder.