E-ISSN : 2757-7163
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients who presented to the emergency department for the inability to remove the TU foley catheter, patients referred to the urology clinic, or patients consulted from other clinics, between January 2017 and September 2022. The treatment methods applied by the urologist in this patient group, hospitalization durations, voiding status, and any developed complications were recorded based on patient files.
Results: A total of 22 patients who had a transurethral (TU) catheter inserted for various reasons and were unable to remove it were included in our study. It was found that 7 of the patients had permanent TU catheters due to comorbidities, while the remaining 15 had TU catheters inserted after acute urinary retention. Among them, 2 cases had the catheter removed by cutting the inflation channel, 1 case with the assistance of a guidewire, 2 cases by puncturing the balloon with a needle under transrectal ultrasound guidance, 10 cases by puncturing the catheter balloon with a needle under suprapubic ultrasound guidance, and 7 cases had their catheters removed by laser under anesthesia. Only 1 patient who had the balloon punctured by a needle under transrectal ultrasound guidance developed fever after the procedure and had a total of 5 days of hospitalization, while the others were discharged either immediately after the procedure or 1 day later.
Conclusion: Patients with indwelling foley catheters that cannot be removed rarely present to us; however, these patients often come to us in an agitated state after multiple unsuccessful attempts to remove the catheter. Therefore, it is important to know which technique should be applied to this patient group in a faster, appropriate, and reliable manner as soon as possible.
