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Hi 2lyle
I had my super pubic done in January of this year at the request of my uroligist. I read up on it and it took me several months before I decided I would do it. The reason I decided to try it because you could just take out the foley and it would close up in 5 to 10 mins and just go back to the old way. Well it has been 9 mos. now and I would not go back. Like you before the pubic foley I had infections every couple of months amoung other problems, but with the super pubic I have not had any infections,flow problems ect. About 5 months ago I came accross a company thanks to Lynnan that was introducing a new foley. The Company is Poiesis and a new foley called the Duette which has two balloons, one at the tip which is to help prevent bladder damaged from the tip and the regular baloon. This is a silicone catheter but to me seems softer even the latex ones. I am going for my fourth change tomorrow and found this to be a very good cath. I have had no problems with this cath and hoping that it is doing less damage to my bladder because of the balloon at the tip. If you have any questions please ask me I will be happy to tell you what I know about the pubic.

Hi Catman

Lynnan as giving me the sight for the Duette catheter it looks like something I would like to try. I probably would have to get a prescription from my urologist to get one so I will get it at my next appointment. I will also have to see if my supplier carry’s them.

Once I had a nurse put in the wrong catheter I gave this all to lynnan so I am not going into it in detail. Simple I use a 5cc balloon and she put in a 30cc balloon and only filled it with 5cc of water. I ended up in the ER because of the pain. In the ER they put in 25cc more water it felt better I went home. A week later the weight of the larger balloon hurt causing me another trip to the ER.
The Duette catheter has two balloons one hanging put in the air it could bounce around I wonder if the weight may cause problems?

I just had my yearly Cystoscopy the only thing he saw was where the balloon of the catheter was sitting in the neck of the bladder and he said it just looks like I am using a catheter it is a little raw nothing he did not expect to see everything is OK.

The first year I used a Foley I did get infections almost every month but with some changes my urologist made I just had my first infection in well over a year.
The changes that were made

First I put my own catheter in at home he feels less germs in home.
Two I take Cipro an antibiotic for three days after I change the cath.
Three I went to a catheter manufacture by Bard and I use there silver coated catheters that really helped.
Fourth I use a 1500ml leg night bag and only change it once a week so the system stays closes.

Like I said no infections for over a year but I did get bleeding three months in a row. After he scoped my bladder he feels that the catheter had been turned while sitting in the bladder neck he saw redness there.

The infection I just got over was after the scoping and the catheter was put in in his office by a nurse. I don’t know if that caused the infection or not and the nurse did do a good job keeping everything sterile.

For the Suprapubic where did they put it in? I e-mailed with someone who had one and he was always complaining it was under his belt his came from inside the belly button.
The catheter I use is also silicone with a silver coating and I find it quite comfortable how comfortable is the suprapubic?
Do you put a dressing over it or leave it open?

So far I have been very happy with a Foley catheter things have been going well I do not get sores in the urethra and it never had a searious leak. Having a suprapubic was something my urologist said I may need in the future. I been doing so well with a foley he only wants to see me once a year in-between I see his PT every six months.

We are going to Florida in a couple of weeks where else Disney World. My wife and I go every year and now we take our daughter son-in-law and two wonderful grandkids.
Going on a long trip and being incontinent using a catheter helps make things easier.


Lyle

Hi 2lyle
On the Duette catheter call the number listed and they most likely will send you a sample or two to try. The normal balloon you can fill with 10 cc as normal and the second you can fill any wher between 3 and 10 cc. I am haveing mine fill bouth with 10 cc and not have a problem. the second balloon keeps the tip from diging in so may make it feel more comfortable for you.

The Suprapubic goes just above the pubic bone bascily the crease just below the belly button. I have not had a problem with my pants or belt my belst line is at least 3 or 4 ins above the site. I was not having any problems before with comfort but was getting a lot of infections and my dr felt over long term would be better pubicly. I find the suprapubic very comfortable and have not had a problem with it. Even able to go into the pool with it and had no problems or infections. I am glad that I had it done and will keep it like this. I do put a dressing around it fold two gauses in triangle and put each have on each side and tape it. You do get a little leakage around it but a very small amount wetting the gause about the size of a dime to a quater of course the first few weeks you will leak a little more and need to change the dressing twice a day after that only once a day. On my last visit the dr had me now on six months visits and every 4 to 5 weeks to have the foley changed out. That will be the only difference is that yu have to have some one change it for you. If you can not get the foley back in in 5 to 10 mins it will close up and you would have to have the procedure done again.

So you are comming to Florida to Disney World it is a good time to come as the parks and not as crowed this time of year. I live about 15 mins from Disney and worked for them for 15 years before I retired. Hope you and your family have fun while you are here.

If you have any questions about the suprapubic please feel free to ask

Hi Catman

We have been going to Disney when they first open and almost every year thereafter so it not new to us.
My daughter also worked there for 7yrs and at one time was the manager of the Prime Time Café. She did not like being a manager she said everything fell on you. She worked in a lot of the high end places her last job was the Beach and Yacht Club and the Grand.
We like Port Orleans River Side it has a wonderful setting.

When my daughter got married her and her husband moved to Washington.

She gave us the best gift any daughter can give, two wonderful grandkids ho we spoil rotten. This may be our last trip down I have not been doing well with my CIDP and autonomic neuropathy. My incontinence is caused by autonomic neuropathy.

I will call Poiesis and see about a Duette catheter.
Like I said I use a Bard silicone silver antibacterial coated catheter. Ever since I have been using this catheter I had no infections. I am just getting over an infection but the last catheter was not my usual one it had no antibacterial coating.

I do have some drainage problems once in a while I am hoping the Duette catheter takes care of that.


Isn’t all this fun got to love it

Thanks for the info

Lyle

Hi Lyle
Hope every thing is ok have not seen you post in over a month. Hope it is just because you are on vacation.
Did you inquire about the duette catheter? and if so how did you make out.

Hi catman

Yes we were on vacation we just got home from Disney World. We were there for two weeks it was fun. We go almost every year it is a place one can forget the world and just relax.

I did try to get a Duette catheter. I called the company talked to them they said they would send info to my doctor they needed a prescription. I called my doctor’s office talked to the PT she said when they receive it she would make shore the doctor saw it.

If all that took place and he didn’t write a prescription I am guessing he wants me to stay with the silver coat antibiotic Bard catheter.

I have been using a Foley now for almost three years. The first year or more I had one infection after another. He tried everything then he wanted me to change my own catheter at home less chance of infection it helped but still got some infections.
Then from me reading and asking about the bard coated catheter he gave me script for them. Well I just got over my first infection in well over a year it is great one infection a year I can live with that. I think the coating really helps.

My doctor went through a lot to get my insurance to pay for these catheters. The standard rubber Foley catheter cost about $2 the one I use cost $17.

With the catheter made of silicon it is clear and I can see if a film has formed inside of it. Since we went to the coated catheter I have not seen any film the catheter looks clean even after six weeks of use.
Now the tube from the catheter to the drainage bag I can see a film forming in it it’s not coated. The film starts to form around seven days or so I change the bag every five days.
I use the Collapse 1500ml bag it is big for a day bag and small for a night bag but I don’t have to change from a day bag to a night bag I just use the one.

The only thing that bothers me now, I still get some blood clots not often. I am told it is normal when using a Foley don’t worry.

I think the Duette design with the two balloons could possibly be the answer in stopping blood clots. I would like to see them coated with the silver antibiotic coating.

Yes I would like to try a Duette catheter coated or not it’s got to help with blood clots.

2lyle

Hi lyle
Glad to hear form you and sorry to here that you had an other infection. I startred out using the standard rubber foleys and was getting infections every couple of months. Even after I had the pubic done I still got infections, I t was not untill I switched to the duette foley that the infections stop it has been 6 mos. now as so far so good. Yes with the clear silcione you can see the coating build up after a couple of weeks but have not had any blockages and have gone as long as 6 weeks before changing. I try to do 5 weeks now and have not had any problems. If you get one I think you will like it. Hope your dr will at least let you try it and I am sure it will do less damage in your bladder and the blood clots will stop.

Hi catman

I did have another infection but it was the first in a year since we went to the Bard catheters. When I got the infection I had a cystoscopy preformed and they did not use the Bard catheter. It wasn’t three weeks after the scoping I got the infection.

Having one infection in a year to me is fantastic when you consider I had one every month. Everything we have done has helped but when you go for tests like having a cystoscopy you have no control over anything. When I went in for the scoping I took one of my catheters but they would not use it so I ended up with an infection. I really should not say that it may not be the catheter they used it could be the scope was dirty or one of a thousand other things that caused it.
I hope I can go another year infection free time will tell.

When I talked to Duette they said something about the Duette helping stop infection but I can’t remember how he put it.
I would still like trying one like I said the concept of it is great nothing can get into the drain ports and it is smooth where it hits the bladder causing less irritation it has to work.

Do you ever get small blood clots?

I don’t get a lot of them and I was told it is normal when using a Foley.

With the silver coated catheters I don’t get any buildup inside the catheter.
The catheter I just changed was in for six weeks and it still looked like new except a little discoloring there was no buildup I could see. That is what the silver antibiotic coating is supposed to do is stop that bio film from starting and becoming colonized.
I know the catheter I had in after my scoping was silicon but in three weeks it had a buildup of scum in it that is when I changed it. Every time I changed a catheter I do a home test for infections and after I changed that catheter it showed an infection starting.

I still find using a Foley catheter a comfortable way to control my type of incontinence.
There easy to hide under clothing they don’t stop me from doing anything in fact I am more active now with a Foley than before they are comfortable.

I think that is why I would like to try the Duette catheter I agree with you I think it got to help. It is too bad it is so restricted by law but then again if it was not people would use them when not needed.
Like I said if I have to be incontinent I like using the Foley way over anything else I have tried but it something that should not be played around with.
Nothing like being normal and having no incontinence.

2lyle

Hi Lyle

No I do not get blood clots since I have been on the Duette. The second baloon at the end prevents the tip or the eye lets from diging into the bladder. So that prevents the catheter from cutting the bladder walls and causing bleeding and infections. So I hope you get to try it and see if it helps you. I have goone 6 weeks between changes with the Duett but my dr does not want me to go more than 5 weeks before changing so I am staying with that for now. The less infections we get the better off we will be I am sure that each infection causes more bladder damage. The doctors tell you bleading and blood clots are normal because they know that the tip of the cather and eyelets cause damage and untill now there was nothing new to help that problem just someting you had to live with and one possible reason foley catheter usesers were at a higher risk of bladder cancer. I think the duetter will reduce the risk.

Hi catman

No doubt having any blood clots shows the Duette is helping.
From what I know now it looks like I will be using a Foley catheter for life. Like I said before I would rather use a Foley to any other type of incontinence control. That is why I am willing to try almost anything that may help.

I have an IV every three weeks it last for 4hr’s a day for four days and today is the last of this series glad when it is over and get this needle out of my Med-A-Port.
The good news using a Foley sure helps while I having my IV therapy.

2lyle