How long does it take to keep a catheter after surgery?

How long does it take to keep a catheter after surgery?

Urinary catheters, as the name suggests, are catheters that discharge urine from the bladder outside the body. In many surgeries, catheters need to be inserted. Indwelling a catheter can be said to be one of the essential preoperative preparations for most surgeries, which is of great significance for whether the surgery can proceed smoothly and whether the patient can recover as soon as possible. Inserting a catheter before surgery mainly has some functions, which can be understood by everyone. Firstly, inserting a catheter can keep the bladder in an empty state, which can avoid damage to the bladder during surgery. And to prevent urinary retention when the operation time is longer, and also to facilitate clinical observation of the role of patients' heart and kidney function.

So how long should the foley catheter be left in the body after surgery and how often should it be replaced?

Next, let's take a look together.

1. Usually, patients need to leave a foley catheter after surgery for a period of time to facilitate urination and observation. Generally, a urinary catheter can be left for 4 weeks, which requires replacement every four weeks. Urinary bags range from 3 to 7 days, depending on the actual situation. According to relevant studies, patients with catheters left for too long have a significantly higher risk of infection. If patients are not replaced for a long time, they are more likely to induce bladder stones, urinary system infections, etc.

2. Precautions for replacing urinary catheters: Generally, simple replacement of urinary catheters does not require special hospitalization treatment, but there are strict requirements for the replacement environment, which must be carried out in a sterile environment to ensure that patients are not infected or to minimize the risk of infection.

Through the above introduction, we understand that patients generally need to replace their old catheters after 4 weeks. When patients need to replace catheters after surgery, they should go to a regular hospital outpatient clinic for replacement. Do not leave the catheters in the body for too long to avoid causing the patient to suffer from infection. If there is any discomfort during the postoperative process, do not insert or remove the catheter yourself, and seek medical consultation and treatment in a timely manner. I hope the above content can help everyone take good care and recover as soon as possible.