8 replies to this topic

[Angi]

Hello,


It's been a while it's I've posted but my soon to be hubby and myself are confused and in need of a little help. Soon to be hubby is a c5 c6 complete. and is currently doing ISC and we are looking for a better way of doing this so we can get rid of staff and sleep next to each other. Many of the people on here we have spoke to have condom caths and repeatedly tell us they are great. We know about the sores they can sometimes cause. The thing that we don't understand is that when we spoke to his urologist she mentioned something about back flow into his kidneys. She said she would not recommend it for him. We are looking for a second opinion cause how can so many individuls use it and not have issues. I realise that everyone is different but back flow is pretty common thru anyone's body right? If i am wrong I am sorry. We are looking for any and all possibilities to make our life less complicated and preferrable withOUT surgery please.

Thank you for all your help!

Angi

[Apparelyzed]

Hi,

It sounds as though your partner's bladder isn't releasing the sphincter when full, which can lead to a backfow into the kidneys.

I understand the reluctance to have surgery, but has he considered a Supra-Pubic catheter?

It's only a small operation, and it leaves penis free for more enjoyable bedtime activities!

I've had one since 1992, as I lost my voiding reflex following a severe bladder infection. Since having the Supra-Pubic catheter though, I haven't had a UTI in 15 years.

There's more information here: Suprapubic Cystostomy vs. Urethral Catheterization

Just post here if you have any further questions.

Regards

Simon

[Angi]

Apparelyzed, on Jan 8 2008, 03:09 PM, said:

Hi,

It sounds as though your partner's bladder isn't releasing the sphincter when full, which can lead to a backfow into the kidneys.

I understand the reluctance to have surgery, but has he considered a Supra-Pubic catheter?

It's only a small operation, and it leaves penis free for more enjoyable bedtime activities!

I've had one since 1992, as I lost my voiding reflex following a severe bladder infection. Since having the Supra-Pubic catheter though, I haven't had a UTI in 15 years.

There's more information here: Suprapubic Cystostomy vs. Urethral Catheterization

Just post here if you have any further questions.

Regards

Simon

Hello Simon,

Thank you for responding. I visited your linked and found it helpful, although Soon to be hubby still is reluctant about another whole in his body and was wondering about reversal if regaining bladder comes available. I would LOVE to have him be more independent and lose the need for staff. He is extremely worried about the stone issue. To me reading that page the small higher risk is in my book a better chance than risking kidney damage. I personally have kidney damage from to many UTI's growing up and that is not something you want to mess with. We are looking into any and ALL possibilities about releaving the strain of staff and dependent issues. I would appreciate more information if you have it.

Reguarding your SC, do you ever suffer from leaks at the surgery site or at the urethra opening? How many stones have you encountered?

Thank you Angie

[Brent]

Hello Angi,

I have used condom caths for a little over eight years now. I am scheduled to have the SP procedure done Thursday of next week, I'm fretting it.

I recently was admitted to the hospital and a CT scan was performed. I have lost one of my kidneys and the other is struggling. I was told that it was caused due to the pressures in my bladder. My urologist and kidney specialist both highly recommended having the SP done.

I can't tell you about the leakage part but can tell you to stay on top of the use of condoms. I didn't have a sign of the damage that I had done until my stay in the hospital.

Wish you luck with your decision.

Brent

[Apparelyzed]

Quote

Reguarding your SC, do you ever suffer from leaks at the surgery site or at the urethra opening? How many stones have you encountered?

Hi,

As long as the opening is kept clean, there is no problem.

I haven't had much problem with the catheter regarding stones, but I do drink plenty to keep my bladder flushed out.

I haven't had any problems with leakage either.

There may be a bit of leakage from around the catheter wound for the first couple of months, but as it heals, this will get less and less.

Regards

Simon.

[Murray]

Apparelyzed, on Jan 10 2008, 12:55 AM, said:

Quote

Reguarding your SC, do you ever suffer from leaks at the surgery site or at the urethra opening? How many stones have you encountered?

Hi,

As long as the opening is kept clean, there is no problem.

I haven't had much problem with the catheter regarding stones, but I do drink plenty to keep my bladder flushed out.

I haven't had any problems with leakage either.

There may be a bit of leakage from around the catheter wound for the first couple of months, but as it heals, this will get less and less.

Regards

Simon.

Ditto to Simon's post. I did intermittent cath in rehab and for a good while afterward. But due to a spastic sphincter bladder muscle, I'd have to find a place to lie down, try to focus on relaxing my lower abdomen, then attempt to insert the cath. Sometimes took over half and hour just to get the damn thing in so I could piss. So I did the condom caths for a while. Found a good one - didn't cause any skin irritation, but still didn't like having to spend the time putting the thing on, etc. Got the s/p about six months ago. Works great. Just have to practice good hygiene like before and everything's fine. Definitely like the "no worries" of being downtown - not having to be someplace where I can hide to get things taken care of - just hit the john, empty the leg bag and go about my biz. I use a 19oz bag with the flip valve by Bard and slide it into the holder sheath on my calf (made by Urocare). Urologist changed my cath first couple times. I change my own now. Good luck. -Lynn

[edlee]

I, too, am reading this thread with great interest. I have just begun using condom caths, and am , so far, satified with the situation. Much better than the leaking between caths using clean intermitent.

I was, also, interested in the studies quoted by Simon. Reading closely, it appears that sp is far superior to any other form of indwelling regimen, and much less likely to cause infections than ISC.

They did ,however, indicate that condom cathing had similar rates of infections to that of sp, but significantly lower risks for cancer and bladder/kidney stone formation.

For myself, I think I'll keep on with the condoms. You need to change it every day, but it isn't difficult or timeconsuming for me. I guess I'm just not fond of the idea of having any new holes poked in me.

It seems more a matter of convenience, between the two.

As for kidney problems, that is something we (sci's) all must be careful of. My new doctor reccommends annual urological testing to help avoid them.

I hope some/any of us have been of help. Good luck to you both.
ed

[Murray]

A smart move, edlee, to plug the uro testing into an sci's annual regimen. I have the lab do a piss culture for me every month. Just want to stay ahead of the game. Still working on pushing water. When I did the condoms, I'd have blow-offs once in a while, so I cut down on the liquid intake. Mistake. The s/p cath needs changing only evey four weeks - a real plus on the convenience side. And the hole - yeah, it's weird at first. Takes a little gettin' used to. I hadn't been with a woman since before the accident, so when my g/f and I got together, I was a little concerned. We just talked through it. She's cool. No obstacle - literal or figurative. I'd cast my vote for the s/p.

Edited by Murray, 10 January 2008 - 08:02 PM.

[Austyn]

My partner who is C5/6 used condom cathethers for years and they seemed to work well once he found ones that stayed on. What he didn't realise however was that his bladder was requiring huge pressures to empty (he used to sweat something terrible everytime he pissed) and this was causing AD. Unfortunately this resulted in a stroke. Now he has an indwelling catheter and is being reviewed by a urologist in the next month or so. I am hoping that a supra pubic catheter will be advocated by the urologist as being a registered nurse, I think this is the best option. Still, I am not the one who has to have it.