Urology supplies for home care, including intermittent, Foley and external catheters, leg bags and night drainage bags. Brands include Hollister, Coloplast, Bard and Convatec. Your urologist or continence nurse sets the catheter type and size, so check that before you order.
Your care team decides, but it helps to know the main types and what each one does.
Read Intermittent Catheters 101 or the guide to external catheter sizes for men.
Catheter diameter is measured in French (FR) units, where 1 FR is one-third of a millimetre. Many adult starting sizes are 12 to 14 FR, but your urologist or nurse chooses yours.
Tips are straight or coudé, which is curved. Male catheters are typically about 16 in (40 cm) long and female ones 6 to 8 in. Uncoated catheters need separate lubricant, while hydrophilic ones are activated with water. See SpeediCath vs VaPro.
Most people use two bags. A leg bag, usually 250 to 1000 mL, straps to the thigh or calf for daytime. A night bag, usually 2000 mL, hangs beside the bed.
Smaller bags are easier to hide but need emptying more often. Check the tubing length, the outlet type and whether the bag is sterile. Our leg bag and night bag guide compares sizes and straps.
French size is the catheter's diameter, where 1 FR equals one-third of a millimetre. Your urologist or continence nurse sets your size. A catheter that is too small can leak, and one that is too large can be uncomfortable.
A coudé tip is curved to help pass an obstruction such as an enlarged prostate. Straight tips are the standard. Your care team will tell you which tip suits you.
Uncoated catheters are used with a separate lubricating jelly and are usually the most economical. Hydrophilic catheters have a coating activated by water for low-friction insertion, which some people prefer.
Leg bags usually hold 250 to 1000 mL and strap to the thigh or calf. Night drainage bags are larger, typically 2000 mL, and hang beside the bed. Smaller bags need emptying more often.
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