It is a thin, sterile tube used to drain urine from the bladder when you cannot urinate. This type of Catheter is used if one is not able to use a catheter that is insterted into the urethra. The urethra carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
The stoma around the suprapubic catheter must be keep very clean to prevent Urinary Track Infections (UTIs) and to keep the skin healthy. It has been found that the same MyButtonBuddies pads used by persons with a feeding tube could also benifit when used with suprapubic catheters.
The big difference between the feeding tube and the suprapubic catheter is that the feeding tube usually has a "button" to hold the MyButtonBuddies pad in place. At this time we are trying to develope a product that will hold the pad in place for the catheter. Until then, the pad would have to be fastened around the stoma like the gauze previously was. We are working on this problem and hope to provide a good product soon. But for now, the MyButtonBuddies pad is more absorbant than gauze and is a good way to protect the stoma and keep the area clean. Again, these pads are washable and very long lasting.
Adult g-tube wears may like the neat flesh tone pads. They are practical with a more conservative look. The picture shows a tan (medium shade) pad on top the ivory shade material on right and brown shade material on left. Save on a week's supply (7) of MyButtonBuddies Flesh tones cloth G-tube pads at $29.99, an almost 15% savings.
With the suprapubic catheter, the urine is collected outside the body in a urinary drainage bag. One such bag is a leg bag that is worn on the thigh of the person. However, some people find the rubbing of the plastic bag directly on their leg over time causes stress on the skin and discomfort, especially as the bag fills and gets heavier. Also, the plastic next to the skin traps moisture from the skin which further irritates the skin. Redness and blisters can develop on the skin of the leg.
To make the person more confortable and reduce this stress we have developed a soft leg bag cover. To protect the skin on the leg, the cover has a soft fleece side that touches and cushions the skin from the plastic bag. It also allow a little air to circulate over the skin. The bag cover is made to easily slip over the leg bag, like a small pillow case. Yet it allows the straps and connectors to work as they normally would. This soft cover, made of flannel, fleece and Velcro is long lasting, washable and reusable.
The current cover is designed around the dimensions of the Bard 32 oz. leg bag product. Our cover is 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) long and 6.0 inches (15.24 cm) wide. It is very light weighing only 1.3 oz (37 g). Currently, our leg bag comes in a rich carmel tan color that works well with all skin colors and does not easily show up urine stains. It also makes the urine bag discreet since the urine is not showing. Other colors and dimensions can be custom made. Just write us a note at www.MyButtonBuddies@yahoo.com or use the "Contact Us" link on the menu on the left of this page or the link at the bottom of this page. Please note that the urine bag or any straps are not included.
If you have a bag that is a different size or configuation, please write us a note and we can see if we can help you.
We are also willing to made custom bags with some of the colorful materials that we have for our pads. Please write us a note and we can see if we can help you.
Persons with a suprapubic catheter may use a larger urine drainage bag that hangs off a bed or wheelchair to collect urine over a longer period of time. We have designed a cover for these larger hanging bags that conceals the display of urine in order to perserve the dignity of people who rely on suprapubic catheters.
These bags are designed to offer style and function. They can be easily slipped on and off without disconnecting the hanging bag that uses the string or hook. Also, they offer easy access to inspect the drainage of urine flow and volume. Like all our products they are long lasting and able to be machine washed and dried.
This Urine Drainage bag cover is approximately 13 inches by 13 inches (33 cm X 33 cm) and was designed to hold the Bard 2000 ml urine drainage bag.