Removing a Foley Catheter at Home-TUKH

 Finding the balloon port of your catheter

The tubing of the catheter will have two ports. One port empties urine into the urinary bag. The other allows you to drain the small water-filled balloon that holds the catheter inside your bladder.

• The balloon port should have a colored valve on the end

• You may also see numbers printed on the balloon port

Deflate the catheter balloon.

• The small balloon inside your bladder will need to be drained, or deflated, in order to take out the catheter.

1. With the small (10 ml) syringe, connect it to the balloon port.

2. Insert with a firm push-and-twist motion

3. Slowly and carefully, pull the syringe plunger away from the port. The vacuum effect will pull water from the balloon in the bladder

4. Continue until the syringe is full.

5. Once the syringe is full, the balloon will be empty, and ready for removal

• Do not pump any air or liquid back into the balloon.  This could pop the balloon hurt your bladder.

• Make sure the amount of fluid you take out of the balloon port matches the amount of fluid put into the balloon before trying to remove the catheter. 

• If you are do not get the right amount of fluid, call the doctor's office 

To remove the catheter

1. Once balloon is deflated gently pull the catheter out of the urethra. It should come out easily

2. If you feel any resistance, it means that there is most likely still water in the balloon. You will need to put a syringe back into the balloon port and take out any extra water like you did in the previous step

3. Men may feel a stinging sensation as the balloon travels down the urethra. This is a normal experience, and not a cause for concern