A suprapubic tube is a catheter that is inserted into your bladder through the lower part of your abdomen. This is a way to empty your bladder and may be plugged into a bag or may be capped and periodically drained.
Who is a candidate?
Anyone who cannot empty their bladder is a potential candidate.
How do I have one placed?
After discussing your options, if you should decide to have a suprapubic tube placed, we can schedule the procedure. The procedure takes approximately 10 minutes in the operating room. You will be sent home shortly after the procedure.
How do I manage the tube?
Initially, we allow the site to heal for 6 weeks. After this, we will change the tube and place a new one. Once the tube has been changed once, we can either teach you how to do this at home or we can change it for you every 4-6 weeks. We recommend periodically irrigating the tube to remove sediment and prevent stone formation.