Why do I need a urinary catheter before surgery? What is the experience of having a urinary catheter?

While urination is a natural part of the body's physiological behavior, and urine is usually passed through the urethra on its own, there are times when we are unable to urinate on our own and have to do so with the assistance of a catheter. In addition to patients with related diseases and the elderly, catheters are widely used in people who need to undergo surgery. So, why do we need to insert a catheter before surgery? Is it painful to insert a urinary catheter?

Why is it necessary to insert a urinary catheter before surgery?

The operation of inserting a urinary catheter before surgery is known as indwelling urinary catheterization, and the main purpose of this operation is to empty the bladder continuously to prevent the storage of urine in the bladder from adversely affecting the surgical operation, and at the same time preventing contamination to facilitate the patient's postoperative recovery.

Preoperative urinary catheterization is generally required for surgeries lasting more than two hours, for larger and more complex surgeries, for lower abdominal surgeries, and for emergencies, and also for patients undergoing general or lumbar anesthesia because they are unable to urinate on their own.

Urinary catheters are not necessary for short procedures on the upper body, such as dentistry and ophthalmology.

Will a urinary catheter hurt? Why do I still have the urge to urinate after a urinary catheter is inserted?

Inserting a urinary catheter involves inserting a catheter into the bladder through the urethra, so it inevitably brings some discomfort, and the exact feeling is related to the patient's gender, physical condition and age.

First of all, the length and structure of the urethra differs between men and women. Women's urethra is shorter, only 4-5 centimeters, and is straighter and wider, so inserting a catheter does not usually cause too much discomfort.

In men, the urethra can be up to 18-20 centimeters long and is physiologically curved and narrow, making catheterization more difficult and uncomfortable than in women. For middle-aged and older men, the urethra can become even narrower due to the pressure of prostate enlargement, further increasing the difficulty of inserting a urinary catheter.

For men with this condition, it is usually necessary to have an experienced nurse perform the procedure and try to make it as successful as possible. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, a specialist will need to dilate the urethra without damaging it before inserting a catheter.

Some patients still feel the urge to urinate after the catheter is inserted, which is not really a desire to urinate, but rather an irritation of the bladder caused by the catheter.

Currently, in order to further minimize the discomfort of the patients, the clinic has gradually eliminated the traditional hard plastic catheter and slowly replaced it with a disposable double-lumen balloon catheter. For patients who are unable to relax or whose urethra is in poor condition, anesthesia is also an option before insertion of the catheter.