A urinary catheter is a thin tube used to drain urine from the bladder when normal emptying is difficult or temporarily not possible. Women may need a catheter after surgery, with urinary retention, certain neurological conditions, or other bladder-emptying problems. Catheters can be very useful, but they are different from treatments designed to improve bladder control.
Updated August 24, 2026
Reviewed By: Dr. A. Goher
| Type | How It Works | Typical Use | Remains in Place? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermittent catheter | Inserted through the urethra to empty the bladder, then removed | Urinary retention, neurogenic bladder, incomplete emptying | No |
| Indwelling/Foley catheter | Inserted through the urethra and held in the bladder by a small balloon | Surgery, hospitalization, short- or longer-term drainage | Yes |
| Suprapubic catheter | Inserted through a small opening in the lower abdomen directly into the bladder | Longer-term drainage when urethral catheterization is unsuitable | Yes |
Intermittent catheterization involves inserting a catheter long enough to empty the bladder and then removing it.
For some women with chronic urinary retention or neurological bladder dysfunction, this may be done several times per day.
Many women can learn clean intermittent self-catheterization and perform it independently at home.
Advantages can include:
The schedule depends on bladder capacity, fluid intake, residual urine volume, and the underlying condition.
An indwelling catheter, commonly called a Foley catheter, remains inside the bladder.
A small balloon near the end of the catheter is inflated after insertion to keep the tube from sliding out. Urine drains continuously through tubing into a collection bag.
Indwelling catheters are commonly used:
The longer an indwelling catheter remains in place, the greater the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection and other complications. For that reason, healthcare teams generally try to remove indwelling catheters as soon as they are no longer medically necessary.
A suprapubic catheter drains the bladder through a small opening created in the lower abdomen rather than through the urethra.
This type of catheter may be considered when long-term bladder drainage is necessary or when using the urethra is difficult or undesirable.
Potential advantages for some patients include less urethral irritation and easier management during long-term use, although suprapubic catheterization requires a medical procedure and has its own risks.
Catheters and incontinence treatments solve very different problems.
A catheter helps when the bladder cannot empty normally.
Urinary incontinence treatments are intended to improve unwanted leakage when the bladder is otherwise able to empty.
For example:
These conditions can occasionally occur together, but catheterization is not generally a treatment for stress or urgency incontinence.
In fact, if someone has difficulty emptying the bladder, that problem should be evaluated before assuming pelvic floor strengthening is appropriate.
Catheters are widely used and can be medically necessary, but they are not risk-free.
Possible complications include:
The risk depends partly on the catheter type, duration of use, underlying health conditions, and catheter-care practices.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection, or CAUTI, is one of the most important risks of indwelling catheter use.
Basic prevention principles include:
Routine catheter care does not generally require aggressive antiseptic cleaning around the urethra. Normal hygiene is usually sufficient unless a healthcare professional provides different instructions.
A catheter does not necessarily prevent normal daily activities.
Depending on the reason for catheterization and the type being used, many people can walk, work, sleep, and participate in everyday activities with appropriate management.
Practical considerations may include:
Women performing intermittent self-catheterization may need time to become comfortable with the technique, but many are able to incorporate it into a normal daily routine.
Contact your healthcare professional if you have a catheter and experience:
Do not remove or replace an indwelling catheter yourself unless you have specifically been trained and instructed to do so.
Elitone is not a substitute for a catheter when someone cannot empty the bladder normally.
In fact, urinary retention and significant difficulty emptying the bladder require medical evaluation, and pelvic floor strengthening is not appropriate for every bladder-emptying problem.
Elitone is designed for a different situation: women whose bladder empties normally but who experience urinary leakage because pelvic floor and urethral support are inadequate.
For stress urinary incontinence, Elitone uses external neuromuscular electrical stimulation to produce repeated pelvic floor contractions and strengthen the muscles responsible for bladder support.
So while a catheter provides a way to drain urine when the bladder cannot empty, Elitone helps improve continence when the problem is unwanted leakage.
Knowing which problem you have — difficulty holding urine, difficulty emptying urine, or sometimes both — is essential before choosing the appropriate treatment.
“Before ELITONE, the middle of the night trip to the bathroom was becoming scary because of leaking. I’ve got that under control now. Easy to fit in my routine. Much more effective than my attempts with Kegels. Well worth the money.” – Susan
A woman may need a catheter because of urinary retention, surgery, neurological bladder dysfunction, severe illness, certain medical procedures, or another condition that prevents normal bladder emptying.
Yes. Many women with chronic bladder-emptying problems learn clean intermittent self-catheterization. A healthcare professional should teach the correct technique and determine how often catheterization is needed.
Insertion may cause pressure, discomfort, or a brief stinging sensation, but severe pain is not expected. Lubrication and proper technique can make insertion more comfortable. Persistent pain should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Yes. Urinary catheters, especially indwelling catheters that remain in place, can increase the risk of urinary tract infection. The risk generally increases with longer duration of catheter use.
Urine can sometimes leak around an indwelling catheter because of bladder spasms, blockage, constipation, incorrect positioning, or other problems. Persistent leakage should be evaluated rather than simply adding absorbent products.
Usually not. Catheters are primarily used when the bladder cannot empty normally. Most stress and urgency urinary incontinence is treated with approaches that improve bladder control rather than continuously draining the bladder.
Urinary retention means the bladder cannot empty completely or at all. Urinary incontinence means urine escapes when you do not intend it to. Some people can experience both conditions, so persistent symptoms should be medically evaluated.
No. Elitone treats urinary incontinence associated with inadequate pelvic floor support; it does not provide bladder drainage and should not replace catheterization when a catheter is medically necessary.
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