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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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SPC Catheter Getting Blocked Frequently. Can We Change The Catheter Size?

Hi, my husband is quadriplegic over 5 years and he has SPC Catheter. A few years it was working well, he had exchanged catheter every 6-7 weeks without blocking. From January this year it started to blocking every 2-3 weeks, and now every 3-4 days. We are sick of calling doctors all the time. His bladder has been shrunk up to 75ml. What we can do in this situation? Is it possible to exchange bladder or size of catheter please? Luba
Tue, 3 Dec 2013
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Urologist,  's  Response
Hi,
I see no reason why you should not have a larger size catheter. I am not aware of what is the current size of catheter that you are employing, but you can gradually take it up. For example, if he presently has a 16 Fr, you can replace it with 18 Fr, and after another 3 weeks, with a 20 fr till you are sure he is comfortable. this can be done at home if you have experience, and I also suggest you avoid keeping the catheter in position beyond 4 weeks. Silicone catheters are relatively better for long term indwelling purposes but are more expensive as well.
The bladder size will obviously be low due to long term drainage, but it is important that you ensure there is no bladder lesion which can develop due to long term irritation by a catheter. This can be done at least initially by an ultrasound of the bladder with the bag clamped for a few minutes to allow the urine to accumulate inside so that the sonologist can look for bladder wall lesions or stones.
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SPC Catheter Getting Blocked Frequently. Can We Change The Catheter Size?

Hi, I see no reason why you should not have a larger size catheter. I am not aware of what is the current size of catheter that you are employing, but you can gradually take it up. For example, if he presently has a 16 Fr, you can replace it with 18 Fr, and after another 3 weeks, with a 20 fr till you are sure he is comfortable. this can be done at home if you have experience, and I also suggest you avoid keeping the catheter in position beyond 4 weeks. Silicone catheters are relatively better for long term indwelling purposes but are more expensive as well. The bladder size will obviously be low due to long term drainage, but it is important that you ensure there is no bladder lesion which can develop due to long term irritation by a catheter. This can be done at least initially by an ultrasound of the bladder with the bag clamped for a few minutes to allow the urine to accumulate inside so that the sonologist can look for bladder wall lesions or stones.