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Urinary catheters are employed in various medical scenarios to remove urine from the bladder when other methods prove unsuccessful. This medical tool is far from ideal for anyone, regardless of gender. The process of using urinary catheters is not only painful but also quite undignified.
The next ten points delve into fascinating details, medical errors, and severe outcomes that are both bizarre and horrifying. It’s safe to say that being catheterized is an experience you’d want to avoid at all costs.
10. Ben Franklin
Catheters have been in use since as early as 3000 BC, with materials that caused pain akin to medieval torture. From straw and palm leaves to gold, silver, copper, brass, and lead, any material that could be shaped into a thin, hollow tube was utilized. Needless to say, these were far from comfortable when inserted into the urethra. Surprisingly, one of the key figures who transformed the painful practice of catheterization was Benjamin Franklin, a renowned Founding Father of the United States.
Franklin regularly observed his brother John endure the painful process of inserting a “bulky metal catheter” into his bladder. John suffered from kidney stones, making self-catheterization a daily, agonizing routine. Determined to help, Franklin collaborated with a local silversmith to create a flexible, silver catheter that could bend as needed. He also added holes along the sides to improve urine drainage. In a letter to his brother, Franklin wrote, “It is as flexible as one could hope for, and I believe it will easily adapt to the curves of the passage.”
By enhancing the design of catheters, Ben Franklin significantly reduced the pain not only for his brother but also for countless others in the future.
9. Male vs. Female Catheters
Foley catheters are designed differently for men and women due to the varying lengths of their urethrae. Male catheters are longer, typically 40 to 45 centimeters (16–18 inches), while female catheters range from 20 to 26 centimeters (8–10 inches). It’s clear that using a female catheter on a male patient would fail to reach the bladder, leading to urine retention and potential trauma. Despite their training, medical professionals have repeatedly made such critical errors.
For instance, health care providers in the UK were warned, or perhaps reminded, about the dangers of using female catheters on male patients. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) documented a staggering 114 cases of such errors between 2006 and 2008, resulting in severe consequences. Beyond extreme pain—an understatement—significant bleeding has been a major issue. Tragically, one male patient died in January 2006 due to heavy bleeding after a minor procedure. As previously mentioned, urinary retention can lead to kidney failure and even death.
8. Laziness, Forgetfulness, and Greed
As previously highlighted, negligence involving catheters can be not only harmful but deadly. Shockingly, 31 percent of hospitalized patients with Foley catheters don’t actually need them, according to the American Journal of Medicine. This raises the question: why are so many patients catheterized unnecessarily? The answer is both shocking and unacceptable: sheer laziness. Using catheters reduces the frequency of changing soiled sheets, making life easier for nursing staff.
What’s often overlooked is that catheters have a limited lifespan and are frequently left in place for too long. This leads to urinary tract infections and extended hospital stays. While nurses are often blamed, studies show that doctors sometimes forget or are unaware that their patients have catheters. In a survey of 256 U.S. physicians, 28 percent admitted to this oversight. Dr. Martin Resnick, a urologist and secretary of the American Urology Association, emphasized that patients need to take a more active role in their care.
Mandy Fader, a professor at the University of Southampton, points out that catheters are overused and outdated, with designs that have seen little change in 80 years. This alarming reality is due to “low industry investment and weak regulation.” Fader argues that catheters are a source of “easy money” for manufacturers, who prioritize profits over innovation and improving this widely used medical device.
7. A Shocking Keepsake
In 2017, during a celebration for the birth of a baby boy, a family in Quebec enjoyed dessert before calling it a night. Unknowingly, they indulged in a tub of Coaticook’s pecan ice cream, flavored with chocolate, caramel, and an unexpected addition: a catheter. The family was understandably disturbed, especially the grandfather, who nearly swallowed the foreign object before spitting it out. It remains unclear if the catheter had been used, but concerns arose about whether a dark spot on the device was caramel or blood. As a precaution, health officials advised the grandfather, who was too traumatized to discuss the incident, and other family members to undergo HIV and hepatitis A, B, and C testing every six months.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) launched a two-day investigation at Laiterie de Coaticook, the ice cream manufacturer. The CFIA found no evidence linking the catheter to the company’s production facility. However, the investigation, conducted in collaboration with the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, aimed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
6. Reasonable Doubt
Winning medical malpractice lawsuits is notoriously challenging for plaintiffs due to the difficulty of proving negligence or wrongdoing. Courts often favor the defense, even when injuries are evident. This was the case for Felix Casaceli, who underwent surgery in March 2009 after fracturing his right heel in a snowboarding accident.
During the procedure, a Foley catheter was inserted into his penis as part of standard sterilization. It was claimed that the nurse mistakenly used lubricating numbing gel instead of sterile water to inflate the catheter’s balloon. Additionally, the balloon was inflated prematurely, stretching Casaceli’s urethra. Imagine a clown inflating a balloon—now picture that happening inside your urethra. When the catheter was removed, it caused permanent damage to the soft tissue, muscles, and nerves of his penis, leading to incontinence. For any man, this scenario is a nightmare second only to castration.
A comparable incident happened in July 2007 after spinal surgery. Russell Baker, 35, alleged he suffered irreversible nerve damage to his penis, resulting in erectile dysfunction and marital strain. Baker’s wife even sought compensation for the loss of their bedroom intimacy, stating they had previously engaged in intercourse up to “three times a day.” Despite both Baker and Casaceli filing lawsuits, neither could prove negligence or permanent injury, leading the jury to dismiss their cases, leaving the men devastated.
5. A Nightmare Scenario
The following case is as rare as it is horrifying. A 72-year-old woman was hospitalized for urinary retention, and an indwelling Foley catheter was inserted to alleviate the issue. Initially, her prognosis was positive. However, the next day, the unthinkable happened, turning her situation into a medical horror story.
For reasons unknown, the elderly woman reached down and forcefully yanked out the catheter. It’s believed her confusion, possibly due to senility, led to this action. What followed was a scene straight out of a horror movie. When medical staff arrived, they found her bladder and uterus protruding. The force of her pull had caused her bladder to invert and prolapse alongside her uterus. Doctors described the gruesome sight as “a red, swollen, slimy, pear-shaped mass 6 cm in diameter resting atop the fully prolapsed uterus.”
Such cases are extremely rare and challenging to treat. With her life hanging by a thread, surgeons sprang into action. Using a generous amount of xylocaine jelly, they manually guided the bladder back through her urethra, followed by corrective surgery for the prolapsed uterus. While both procedures were successful, the woman’s long-term prognosis remains uncertain.
4. Recycling at Its Worst
It might be shocking to learn that, alongside urinary catheters, anal catheters also exist. Let that thought settle in—no pun intended. These devices are used to inject fluids or collect fecal samples. While the idea of inserting an anal catheter sounds excruciating, a colorectal surgeon in New Jersey took the concept of “disgusting” to an entirely new level.
The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners revealed that Dr. Sanjiv K. Patankar repeatedly reused disposable anal catheters intended for single use on multiple patients. From January to November 2017, Dr. Patankar performed 82 anal procedures using only five catheters, averaging 16 patients per catheter. Shockingly, the unethical doctor instructed his staff to clean the fecal matter-covered tubes between uses, a task both unhygienic and hazardous, potentially exposing patients to severe infectious diseases.
Dr. Patankar's actions resulted in significant legal consequences. Attorney General Christopher Porrino strongly criticized his behavior, stating, “It is horrifying that a medical professional would engage in such unsanitary and perilous practices. Dr. Patankar’s alleged conduct shows a blatant disregard for public safety, endangering numerous patients with the risk of communicable illnesses.”
In January 2018, the State Board of Medical Examiners revoked Dr. Patankar’s license to practice medicine. He is eligible to reapply after 42 months. Meanwhile, health officials are advising the 82 patients who were exposed to potential harm to undergo testing for various infectious diseases.
3. Bursting Bladder
For some, a hospital stay can turn into a nightmare. This was tragically true for Steven Herczeg, a 72-year-old former Australian national soccer player, who was admitted to Adelaide’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in September 2016. Shortly after admission, a Foley catheter was mistakenly connected to an oxygen tank instead of a drainage system. As air filled his bladder, the organ expanded uncontrollably until it ruptured. Nurses only realized the catastrophic error when Herczeg’s agonized screams echoed through the ward. Despite a code blue being issued and immediate medical intervention, the air had already spread to his abdomen, collapsing his lungs under the pressure. Herczeg died within minutes, leaving the hospital staff in a state of shock and panic.
During questioning, a nurse admitted to noticing a white connector linking the green oxygen tube to the brown catheter but claimed ignorance about their purpose. Such a glaring oversight is hard to fathom for someone in the medical field, particularly when dealing with a tube inserted into a patient’s penis. Compounding the hospital’s tarnished reputation, both the urinary catheter and oxygen tubing were reportedly destroyed before investigators could examine them.
2. ‘Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?’
In Pierre, South Dakota, refusing a police request for a urine sample can lead to severe repercussions. In March 2016, officers arrived at Dirk Sparks’ home following a domestic dispute and noted his nervous behavior. When asked for a urine sample, Sparks declined, exercising his right without a warrant. However, a warrant was swiftly obtained, resulting in Sparks being restrained on a hospital table. As his pants were removed, Sparks initially thought it was a bluff—until the excruciating pain of a catheter being forced into his urethra proved otherwise.
The Pierre Police Department has a notorious history of forced catheterizations. In February 2017, a three-year-old boy underwent the procedure after his mother’s boyfriend tested positive for drugs, raising concerns about the child’s exposure. When the boy couldn’t urinate voluntarily to check for narcotics, authorities resorted to their usual approach. “They inserted it forcefully, and his screams were unbearable,” said the boy’s mother, Kristen Hunter. “He’s still battling a staph infection and requires ongoing medication.”
A similar incident involved 34-year-old Jason Riis, who failed a sobriety test in March 2016. Despite initially agreeing to provide a urine sample, Riis was told it was too late. “One officer held my penis while a doctor inserted the catheter,” Riis recounted. “The pain lasted a week, and I couldn’t urinate properly.” The takeaway? Avoid legal trouble in Pierre, South Dakota, if you prefer to avoid such invasive and painful procedures.
1. A Man’s Worst Nightmare
Beyond the standard indwelling Foley catheter, there are non-invasive options like external or “condom” catheters. These devices fit snugly over the penis, effectively collecting urine and reducing the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) by up to 80%. Men who meet the criteria—such as those with short-term incontinence or without urinary blockages—often prefer this comfortable and pain-free alternative.
Despite their advantages, condom catheters are not without risks. One tragic incident highlights their potential dangers. After an accident, a 75-year-old man with urinary incontinence was admitted to the emergency room and fitted with a condom catheter. Once stabilized, he was discharged and allowed to continue using the device at home.
Two weeks later, the man returned to the hospital with severe swelling and discoloration of his penis. The adhesive tape securing the catheter had acted like a tourniquet, cutting off blood flow to his penile arteries. Medical examination revealed no pulse or sensation, as gangrene had set in. The irreversible damage left doctors no choice but to amputate his entire penis. Post-surgery, the man was reported to be recovering well, at least from a medical standpoint.
