Description

A doctor may recommend a urinary catheter for a person who has difficulties when urinating. Reasons for needing a catheter can include:

• a blockage in the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the bladder
• injury to the urethra
• an enlarged prostate in males
• birth defects affecting the urinary tract
• kidney, ureter, or bladder stones
• bladder weakness or nerve damage
• tumors within the urinary tract or reproductive organs

A healthcare provider may also insert a urinary catheter:

• to accurately measure urine output in critically ill people
• to drain the bladder before, during, or after a person has surgery
• during childbirth, to drain the women’s bladder after an epidural anesthetic
• to deliver medication directly into a person’s bladder
• for treating a person with urinary incontinence if other treatments have not been successful