|  | Conditions Treatments | Kidney Disease

Problems With an Anti-Reflux Valve Urinary Catheter

Problems with an anti-reflux valve urinary catheter do exist, although they are considered by many urologists to be preferable alternatives to other catherization methods. These catheters eliminate the need to use drainage bags and can remain inside the patient for around five to seven days as long as the patient has "adequate" bladder capacity.

  1. Bacterial Infections

    • While urinary catherization is basically a simple procedure in which a plastic tube is inserted into the bladder by way of the urethra in order to drain the urine more freely, it is quite uncomfortable and can often lead to serious complications from various bacterial infections. In addition, depending on the type of device employed, prolonged catherization can cause spasms in the bladder, as well as leakage problems, and kidney infections.

    Problems in Men

    • In men, backflow of contaminated urine into the seminal vesicles can severely damage the pouchlike glands located on both sides of a man's bladder, which secrete seminal fluid and promote movement of sperm during ejaculation, as well as cause the inflammation of the coiled tube on top of the testis where sperm grow to maturity, a condition called epididymo-orchitis.

    Increase in Bladder Activity

    • Problems can also include an increase in bladder activity, especially during the night. In addition, if the valves are faulty, they can cause the urine to back up from the bladder into the urethra and kidneys.

    Preventing Complications

    • Urinary tract contamination resulting from catherization now accounts for almost one third of complications reported by acute healthcare facilities, and has been connected to a rise in length of hospital stay, medical cost, morbidity and mortality. To prevent this, doctors sometimes opt to use condom catheters, which are generally associated with lower risk of bacterial build-up. In addition, in cases where catherization of the uretha isn't possible, a popular option may be the use of suprapubic cystostomy, in which an anti-reflux catheter valve is used for restricting the flow of urine in one direction through the tube into a collection reservoir. These include use of check valves placed inside a portion of the catheter in order to lower the risk of reflux, and a collapsible opening.

Kidney Disease - Related Articles