Foley catheter and blood clots

[Esprit64]

In the presence of prostate cancer, enlarged prostate and bladder stone, would the incorrect insertion and wrong size insertion of a Foley catheter cause large blood clots to form?

[genie474]

I had an emergency surgery due to intense pain in my right lower abdomen.  After surgery there was blood in my urine and when they pulled the cather  i felt intense pain and my penis and scrotum area became swollen It has been 6 days since the surgery I am in the bathroom 6 to 8 hours trying to void, I also have problem with incontinence since the surgery should I see a urologist or this will get better The surgery was for hernia repair my intestines had gotten trapped between the muscle wall of my abdomen.

[rmprdl1964]

Hi, It is possible for the catheter to be inflated before it completely has entered the bladder. If this is the case it can result into damage to the urethra or prostate depending on  where the balloon of the catheter has been place.

A catheter looks like a piece of surgical tubing but it is closed at the tip and has openings on the sides of the tip. Just above the tip and openings there is a balloon. When the catheter is properly paced inside the bladder the ballon is filled with saline solution to ensure that the catheter is not being pulled out of the bladder. Care must be taken that the catheter is not pulled in any way as it could do damage to the bladder.

It is difficult to describe how a catheter works without a diagram. Before the ballon is inflated one would have to ensure that the tip is inside the bladder completely.
Normally once the cahteter is inserted there will be some flow of urine through the catheter, just hold a steady prossure on the catheter and than fill the balloon.

When I had my last suprapubic catheter place the urologist claimed that the doctor had place the catheter in such a way that the tip was inside the prostate. This cause irritation, inflamation and or damage to the prostatic urethra. When the urologist places the suprapubic catheter he also has the scope in to ensure that the palcement is correct. Once the doctor here in my town has to change the catheter, he cannot see the axact placement of the catheter.

I hope that this will give you some idea as to what can go wrong. Wrong placement of a catheter is rare.

All the best.

Ron

[Esprit64]

Ron, would you know if it is possible for a Foley to be improperly placed more in the urethra rather than bladder?  When I consider that a balloon must be inflated at the catheter's tip, I'm having a hard time realizing how an improper placement like I described could happen.  Any thoughts?

One side of the argument I'm in states that no catheter insertion gone wrong could cause huge blood clots to form in 4 hours, requiring a painful flushing.  The urologist intimates that because the catheter was inserted improperly, was the wrong size, clots formed.  In any event, prior to the change in catheters, there was no presence of any size clots in the bag.  All the clots, huge clots I might add, were present 4 hours later.

Thanks, Ron.

[rmprdl1964]

Hi, I currently have a suprapubic catheter and they had to replace it due to it getting plugged. I noticed some blood and some blood clots. On the latest cystoscopy it was noticed that the tip of the catheter had entered to prostate causing irritation.

I have a neurogenic bladder and currently have a fistula (hole) between my prostate and rectum. The urologist claims that I may have caused it by the insertion of the catheters.

I now think that it is possible to do damage if the catheter is in the wrong place. However since you state that you have prostate cancer, it is possible that this can be the source of the bleeding and clots.

All the best.

Ron