A catheter is a slender, flexible tube crafted from medical-grade materials. Healthcare professionals insert these devices into the body primarily to drain fluids, introduce medications, or provide access to internal body cavities for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons.
Reasons for Catheter Use
Catheters are used in surgical settings for several reasons. A primary purpose is to facilitate fluid drainage, such as urine from the bladder, blood from a surgical site, or cerebrospinal fluid. This drainage helps maintain a clear surgical field, prevents fluid buildup, and supports organ function.
Another application involves administering fluids or medications directly into the body. Catheters can deliver intravenous fluids, drugs, or nutrients, ensuring precise delivery and absorption. They are also used for monitoring vital signs, such as urine output, which provides insights into a patient’s kidney function and overall fluid balance during complex procedures.
Catheters serve as conduits, providing access for surgical instruments or other medical devices. This allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures, reducing the need for larger incisions.
Surgical Procedures Requiring Catheters
Catheters are used in many surgical procedures. In urinary tract surgeries, such as those involving the bladder, kidneys, or prostate, urinary catheters are commonly used. They ensure continuous urine drainage, which is important when the bladder needs to remain empty or when there’s a risk of urinary retention due to anesthesia or surgical swelling.
Major abdominal and pelvic surgeries often require catheterization. Procedures like hysterectomies, C-sections, or colorectal surgeries often require temporary urinary catheters to manage bladder function, especially when patients are under general anesthesia or have limited mobility post-operatively. In some cases, abdominal wall catheters are placed after complex surgeries, such as liver resections, for localized pain management.
Cardiac and vascular surgeries rely on catheters for both diagnostic and interventional purposes. Catheters can be threaded through blood vessels to the heart for procedures like angiography to visualize blockages, angioplasty to widen narrowed arteries, or stent placement to keep vessels open. These minimally invasive techniques reduce trauma compared to traditional open surgeries.
In orthopedic surgeries involving the spine or major joints, epidural catheters are used. These catheters deliver local anesthetics or pain medications directly into the epidural space near the spinal cord. This provides effective pain relief during and after the operation, aiding in patient recovery and mobilization.
Neurosurgery uses catheters, especially for managing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or accessing delicate brain structures. Catheters can drain excess CSF to reduce intracranial pressure, or they can be used to navigate through brain arteries for treating conditions like aneurysms. Their precise placement is guided by advanced imaging techniques to ensure patient safety.
After Catheterization: What to Expect
The duration a catheter remains in place after surgery varies depending on the type of procedure, patient recovery, and individual needs. For many surgeries, a urinary catheter might be removed within hours or a day or two once the patient can urinate independently. In more complex cases, such as certain pelvic or urological surgeries, the catheter may stay for several days to a few weeks to allow for healing.
Catheter removal is a straightforward process performed by medical staff. For indwelling urinary catheters, a small balloon holding the catheter in place within the bladder is deflated, and then the tube is gently withdrawn. Patients might experience a brief moment of discomfort or a sensation of pressure during removal.
Immediately after catheter removal, patients may feel a strong urge to urinate, or experience temporary bladder discomfort. It is common for the bladder and urethra to be temporarily weak, and some individuals may experience minor leakage or difficulty controlling urination for a short period. Patients are often encouraged to drink plenty of fluids and monitor their urination to ensure normal bladder function resumes. Healthcare providers closely observe for signs of urinary retention or infection, which are important to address promptly.