Any catheter is fine for a continent ostomy. Some like the Marlen (bullet end), some like the Medina (hole at end) or this one from Webber and Judd. Whatever one gets the job done is what my surgeon always says.

Yea just wondering if it works better than that Marlen or it's pretty much the same since it is a 60$ catheter I am trying to see who has used it before buying one.

Vanessa,
I do not know where you get your catheters from but 60$ is way too much in my books...I never paid more than $15 per for mine and that was in $cdn...
I tend to use the medina because that is what works for me but I have used both strait and curved as well as Marlen when my valve was kinked...go onto ebay or do someshopping around.
Sharon
ps...my catheters last up to 3 yrs or more especially the curved ones...the strait ones tend to bend and then crack in the middle.
Sharon

That is the catheter I have been using forever. It is like they ones they gave me at the Mayo Clinic a long time ago. They seem to last a very long time, years and years.

I usually don't pay for my catheters. I have about 20 in my house. I get 5 a month through insurance. But this brand I posted about isn't covered by insruance, a least the only place that sells it doesn't seem to accept insurance. I just need one that has the flexible bullet tip but the extra hole I would hope drains better. Right now it is a 30 minute bathroom trip for me with a kinked valve and this catheter that doesn't do the best job. I don't have time for 30 min bathroom breaks. I was a 5 minute one prior.

Maybe your insurance would reimburse you? Does it take 30 minutes because it is so hard to get the catheter in or the drainage is so slow or a combination of the two?

My stoma/valve is made for a 30french so I wouldn't even go higher than that.

Dpol I think it is the valve that makes it harder to go. It takes me anywhere from 5-15 minutes to get my catheter in. Depends... I think since it is on a kink I have to literally stand with my head to my knees to drain it and it slows at times. I drink a lot so that isn't it but I just think i can no longer get the catheter in all the way to drain it properly. The bullet tip catheter coils up usually instead of going directly in so it is a little more work to go. It isn't the END of the world but I work a few days a month when I find work and I have to eat so light during the day because I don't have time to be in the toilet for 30 minutes at work. My intubation schedule is I usually go at 12 noon since I can't go in the morning, my pouch just doesn't really wake up until then. Then I go around 6pm and finally one more at night to irrigate. I just want to find a catheter that drains better. It might be the holes or design of the cath as well. When I get the catheter in with the 3 holes that was made for the kock pouch it flows way better than Mr bullet tip.

Did your Kpouch surgeon tell you to milk the catheter when it does not drain easily? That is what I was told to do at the Mayo Clinic. If my pouch is draining slowing I do this and it helps. I just try to be a little careful when the milking stops as that has meant for me that either something is clogging the catheter or maybe I have gotten in contact with the inside of the pouch and that has clogged the catheter. Neither is what I want so I reverse the milking to try and unclog it. I do not want to pull the insides of my pouch or try and pull anything that is very big and is stuck in the catheter out as I am afraid it could cause damage. If you do not milk the catheter call your doctor and see if he would recommend it. It has been over 30 years since I have discussed how to speed up going to the restroom with a doctor so I do not know what they recommend now. Best of luck, you deserve to have things go your way!!

I milk and irrigate and drain pulling it in and out to release something. This is all new for me so I assume it is the valve in combo with the type of catheter.

I've had a continent ileo for a lont time.
dpol; the first at Mayo by Dr. Beahrs.
Being able to insert the catheter through the valve and emptying the pouch once the catheter is in are two different issues.
I use the Marlen because the bullet end with lots of lube,makes it easy to insert. I do keep the Webber and Judd in my stock. The reason is it is long and flexible and if I ever need to hook up to constant drain it is perfect.But I have a more difficult time inserting it so I don't use it regularly. That is what was used at Mayo and Cleveland Clinic when I came out of surgery.
I am very careful to make sure my foods are balanced and that the stool is not "sludge". I drink grape juice with lunch and dinner. And otherwise keep things simple. I don't like sitting in the bathroom for eternity because I didn't pay attention to what I ate or overloaded on the wrong foods.Milking and irrigating get me through the process. While just before I plucked something out of the catheter.
Some days are like that..Don't we all wish it was perfect.

Omg, $60 for ONE??? Is it lined with diamond dust or something? I'm with Sharon, never paid $15 per unit, a Medina...but Sharon, where did you find the curved ones? I've been looking but can't find them, no matter right now anyways, not until my dear Dr Cohen fixes my valve!

Torbot may sell the curved Medena French 30.

Or, AllegroMedical.com 1-800-861-3211
Allegro shows a picture of the French 30 in curved form.

I got mine from Starkman's in downtown Toronto (look it up...they used to have a really nice guy working there name Jim)...Lately I cannot use it because my pouch is too low and the curved one 'hit' things in there that I don't want hit ...so the strait works better for me but when my pouch was in its original spot the curved was fantastic.
Sharon

I curve mine by boiling it round pot= half circle round tube.

quote:

Being able to insert the catheter through the valve and emptying the pouch once the catheter is in are two different issues.

Actually for me it isn't. My valve is on such an angle you can see where the catheter is squeezed in 2 spots once it is in. Had a permanent indent. I have to move it or the stool to release in that area. So my valve is a cause of it, my stool isn't total sludge. I drink to much fluids to help that.

I use the Weber and Judd 29 fr curved catheter. It is the one they used at the Mayo when I had the procedure and it is easiest on my body.

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I have always used the Medena, French 30 size. I get them at Torbot.

Was up and down whether to start a new thread or not... In the end, here I am! lol

Sooo, I have a latex allergy and need to confirm that the Medena and the Marlen caths are definitely silicone. Hopefully, someone even has a packet/box that confirms the 'no latex' or 'latex free' message on the packet/box. Thanks in advance. The Weber and Judd one is pretty expensive, so i'll look into that later.

Oh yeah, at this point, the Surgeon has agreed to give me a KPouch(very excited), as long as I get down to the required weight before the operation. He's a good guy. I'll work my butt off to make this happen.

Thanks again,

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Ad,
Mine are definetly silicon and latex free but If the ones that they use near you arent then you can order them...a catheter can last for years so it is not a really big expense...you just rince and reuse..
Sharon

Thanks Sharon,
Have ordered some from Stomabags.com. Never ordered through them before, so crossing my fingers it works out. They carried both the Medena and the Marlen lines. Got some of the Marlen curved 30Fr, as they look like the best bet for me, but I wanted to try some of the others too for when the time comes to use them. I browsed a lot of places before that, but only a few ship outside the USA. The Weber-and-Judd for example was only available through merchants that shipped within the USA and/or Canada, so won't be trying that.

On a related note, after researching a bit, it looks like the ones we are entitled to here(under a gov ostomy scheme) are just rebranded Medena 30Fr straights, from what I can tell.

I saw in another thread that the Marlen's are silicon too. I think Dixie had commented on it.

Later gators,

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