F.A.Q. & Care Information

Sizing Chart | External Self-Catheters | How To Use | Application | Tips & Hints | Collection Bags | F.A.Q.'s

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External Self-Catheters The male external catheter system (such as Coloplast's Freedom Cath®) is a convenient, clean and comfortable method for dealing with a problem that has probably caused you physical, social, and psychological distress. The system consists of a male external catheter (or condom catheter) and a urine collection bag. The condom catheter is a soft sheath that rolls onto the penis just like a regular condom, except it has a specially-designed funnel end that connects to a drain tube and into a urine collection bag.

With some preparation, your system will become as much a part of your daily routine as brushing your teeth. To get started, you?ll need to choose the type and size of external catheter and leg bag that is best suited to your own anatomy and lifestyle. Then learn the proper method of putting on, connecting, and removing the system, along with how to care for yourself and your system.

There are several types and sizes of external catheters and leg bags. You should select the one that works best for you. For more information on the various external catheters available through Coloplast.

How To Use Once you've selected the catheter and urinary drainage bag you'll be using, you're ready to put it all together and start enjoying a new, stress-free way of managing urinary incontinence.

Putting on your catheter:   

Size
You'll get the best results in managing your incontinence by using the right size catheter. A sizing guide is available to make it easy to choose the appropriate size for you. You can get one from your nurse or doctor, home healthcare dealer, or by calling Coloplast's customer service. Freedom® Male External Catheters, designed to keep you comfortable and secure during normal everyday use, come in five sizes to ensure a precise fit.

Cleaning

Application Like anything new, putting on your catheter may feel awkward at first. Once you are familiar with the ins and outs of getting a good fit and positioning, you?ll be on your way to stress-free urinary control. Freedom Cath® condom catheters are designed for easy application. They are one-piece, with a special medical adhesive lining to keep the catheter moving with you and adjusting to the changing shape of your penis.

To Apply
1. Position the rolled catheter sheath so that the head of your penis fits in the cone but doesn't rub against the bulb.
2. Unroll the sheath along your penis.
3. Remove the release paper from the adhesive-backed elastic foam band.
4. Starting just behind the head of your penis, spiral-wrap the foam band, adhesive side down, around the catheter and penis.

5.Wrap toward the base of your penis, one full turn or more.  The band should be snug, but not to tihgt, so that it won't interrupt blood flow to your penis.  Check in 20 minutes to be sure the foam band is not too tight.

To Remove
Loosen and unwrap the outer band and gently roll the catheter down the base of your penis.
After removing any catheter, wash and dry the skin of your penis.  Check carefully to be sure there is no irritation or skin breakdown. (If you see or feel any sign of irritation, report it immediately to your doctor or nurse.)  When your skin is clean and dry, you can use a Shield Skin protective wipe for extra protection before you put on a new catheter.

Connecting the Urine Collection Bag
The final step in connecting your external catheter system is to attach your leg bag to your condom catheter.

Note: Some men prefer to connect the total system?catheter, tubing, and leg bag? before putting on the catheter. You may want to experiment to see which approach works better for you.

1. You may empty your bag by disconnecting the lower leg strap, holding the bottom of the bag steady over a toilet or other receptacle, and opening the lower drain. You don't have to disconnect the urine collection system to empty your bag. 2. Freedom® bags are "disposable" but that doesn't mean you use them only once. If you take good care of it, you should be able to use a vinyl bag for about two weeks. Your doctor or nurse may have suggested that you switch daily between two bags. While you're wearing one, the other can be cleaned and dried for the next day.

Always remember, there are a few "musts" to get the best results with your external catheter system: 1. Be sure your condom catheter is the correct size and fit for you. 2. Be sure your skin is clean and dry before you put on the condom catheter. 3. Be sure the tip of your penis is positioned in the cone of the catheter but is not rubbing on the bulb. Squeeze the sheath. 4. Learn how often your catheter should be changed to give you the greatest comfort and security. If it?s loose, change it. 5. Examine your skin carefully each time you change your catheter. 6. Check and empty your leg bag regularly and look for tubing kinks. 7. Keep your collection tubing, bags, and fixtures clean and odor-free. Routine care and maintenance
Developing a personal routine for changing your catheter, checking and cleaning your skin, and cleaning and changing your urine collection bags will help you get the best results most easily.

Catheters
How often you change your catheter will depend on several factors such as:
• The type of catheter you use • Your own skin type • The climate • The types of soaps and lotions you use on your skin • Medications you take • Your diet
The best way to set a schedule is by trial and observation. Check regularly on the fit and comfort of your own catheter. You'll quickly decide how long it is safe and comfortable to wear a particular kind of catheter before changing:
1. If the catheter is loose, change it. 2. If your skin feels irritated, take the catheter off and check, clean, and dry your skin before putting on a new catheter. 3. If you notice a urine odor, take off your catheter, then clean and dry your skin before putting on a new one. 4. Be sure your urine collection system is clean and your urine is flowing through the system

To clean your vinyl leg bag or night collection bag after use, remove tubing and leg straps and rinse the bag with clear water. 1. Use a solution of bleach and water (one ounce bleach to a quart of water) to remove stains and odor of urine from the bag and plastic tubing. 2. Fill the bag with solution, making sure there is no air in the bag, and let it soak for 20-30 minutes. 3. Rinse again with clear water and hang to dry. 4. Soak tubing in the same solution, then rinse it and hang it to dry. 5. Add about half a teaspoon of Ultra-Fresh® Odor Eliminator to the bag after you clean it.
Over time, mineral deposits from your urine will build up in the collection bag. These deposits will clog the one-way valve and block the flow of urine. To keep your bags, connectors, valves, and tubing clog-free, soak them every few days in a solution of vinegar and water (four ounces of vinegar to a quart of water). Let connectors, valves, tubes, and bag soak for 6-8 hours, and then rinse with clear water.

My penis is soft or retracts when I try to put on my catheter.
Be patient and keep trying. You can do it! Grasp the base of your penis (nearest your body) and squeeze your penis to make it more rigid and smooth the skin forward. Then, when you put the cone of the catheter against your penis, "pinch" with your thumb and first two fingers to get a firm grip on your penis. Keep holding while you unroll the sheath of the catheter. Squeeze the adhesive inner liner of your catheter to your penis. Snip away any extra material that forms a roll at the base of your penis. This can bunch up and push the catheter off.

My urine flows in sudden surges.
The double-thick cone, bulb, and stem of the catheter are designed not to kink or twist when you move, so that even a sudden surge of urine will pass through without backing up into the catheter. For extra safety, your doctor or nurse may tell you to leave a little collection space between the head of the penis and the inside of the cone of the catheter.

The adhesive lining of the catheter pulls out my pubic hair.
See the detailed description and illustration in the Mentor booklet, Putting on Your Catheter .

My foreskin gets tangled in the adhesive.
If you are uncircumcised, leave your foreskin over the head of your penis when you put on your catheter.

I experience spontaneous erections. What will this do to my catheter?
Your self-adhering catheter will expand automatically to accommodate a spontaneous erection.

The catheter is too tight at the base of my penis.
Snip off the band and peel away extra material that binds the base of your penis.

My self-adhering catheter is hard for me to remove.
Wrap a warm, damp washcloth around your penis for a few minutes. Then ease the catheter off.

Hints for caregivers
Accurate sizing of the catheter is critical. Check to see that any extra material in the sheath of a self-adhering catheter is pinched together to form a seal. If you see lots of wrinkles in this type of catheter, it probably means a smaller size is required.

If the patient complains that his catheter becomes loose and falls off, find out why. • Is it the correct size? • Is the skin clean and dry? • Is the penis retracting? If the penis is retracting, the patient should wear a shorter-sheath catheter to eliminate the extra roll sitting at the base of the penis. This roll has a tendency to push forward when the penis retracts. Any excess roll or sheath should be trimmed with blunt scissors. (The Active Cath®, Freedom Clear®, Freedom Clear® SS and Clear Advantage® catheters all offer shorter sheaths.) Is it actually the catheter that?s falling off? The system may be disconnecting elsewhere and causing a leak. Or, the connector may not be pushed all the way into the bulb of the catheter, causing kinking in the system.