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The urinary catheter after surgery: why you have one and when it comes out | CION Cancer Clinics
A urinary catheter is a thin, soft tube passed into the bladder during your operation so urine drains into a bag. After many cancer operations it comes out once you are up and walking, often within a few days. After surgery on the bladder, prostate, womb or lower bowel it may stay in longer. This page explains why, how it comes out, and what to watch for. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Why do you have a catheter after surgery?
- Why might a catheter stay in longer after some operations?
- What happens when the catheter comes out?
- What do the catheter words on your notes mean?
- What should you expect while the catheter is in?
- What do people worry about with a catheter that is not true?
- Common questions about the urinary catheter after surgery
The short answer
Why do you have a catheter after surgery?
A catheter lets your bladder empty without any effort from you while you are too drowsy, sore or attached to a drip to get to the toilet. It also lets the team measure exactly how much urine you make, which is one of the clearest signs of how your kidneys and fluids are doing.
How it is put in and held in place
The catheter is usually passed through the urethra (the tube you pass urine through) while you are under anaesthetic, so you do not feel it go in. A small balloon near the tip is filled with water inside the bladder, which stops it slipping out. The other end connects to a bag that hangs below the bed.
How long it usually stays
After many operations it comes out once you are up and walking to the toilet, often within a few days. After surgery on or near the bladder, prostate, womb, rectum or other organs low in the pelvis, it may stay longer while the area heals. Your surgeon sets the timing for your operation. There is no single rule.
Not everyone needs one
Shorter operations, or ones after which you are expected to walk soon, may not need a catheter at all. Some people have one only for the operation itself, and it is taken out before they wake up.
Longer stays
Why might a catheter stay in longer after some operations?
The reason depends on what was done. Ask your surgeon which one applies to you.
Surgery on the bladder or prostate
When the bladder or prostate has been operated on, or a join has been made between the bladder and the urethra, the catheter acts like a splint. It keeps urine flowing past the join while it heals, so it usually stays longer than after other operations.
Surgery deep in the pelvis
Operations for cancers of the rectum, womb, cervix or ovary can disturb the nerves that tell the bladder when to empty. Keeping the catheter in gives those nerves time to recover before you try passing urine yourself.
A close watch on fluids
After a large operation, or a stay in intensive care, the team measures urine closely. The catheter stays until your fluids and blood tests have settled.
Epidural pain relief
An epidural (pain relief given through a thin tube in the back) can make it hard to feel when the bladder is full. The catheter often stays until the epidural has been stopped.
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What happens when the catheter comes out?
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The balloon is emptied
A nurse uses a syringe to draw the water out of the small balloon inside the bladder. You will not feel this part.
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The tube slides out
You are asked to breathe out while the catheter is gently drawn out. It takes a few seconds and feels like a brief sting or pull.
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Drinking and waiting
You are asked to drink normally and wait until you feel the need to pass urine. The nurses may ask you to use a jug or a bedpan, so they can measure the amount.
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Checking the bladder has emptied
After you pass urine, a quick ultrasound scan over the lower tummy may check how much is left behind. The whole process is called a trial without catheter.
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If you cannot pass urine yet
Sometimes the bladder is not ready. The catheter may be put back for a while and the trial repeated later. This is common after surgery in the pelvis, and it is not a failure.
On your notes
What do the catheter words on your notes mean?
- Foley catheter
- The most common type, held in the bladder by a small water-filled balloon.
- Urethral catheter
- A catheter passed through the urethra. This is the usual route.
- Suprapubic catheter
- A catheter placed through the skin of the lower tummy straight into the bladder. It is used after some bladder and pelvic operations.
- Trial without catheter
- Removing the catheter to see whether you can pass urine and empty your bladder on your own.
- Leg bag
- A smaller bag strapped to the thigh or calf, used when you are walking about or going home with the catheter.
- Bypassing
- Urine leaking around the outside of the catheter rather than through it. It often points to a blockage or a bladder spasm.
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Living with it
What should you expect while the catheter is in?
Most people are aware of the catheter but not in real pain with it. A feeling of needing to pass urine is common, because the balloon sits inside the bladder. It usually becomes less noticeable as the days pass.
Bladder spasms
Sudden cramps low in the tummy, sometimes with urine leaking around the tube, are bladder spasms. They happen when the bladder muscle reacts to the catheter. Tell the nurse. Checking the tube for a kink or blockage often settles them, and medicines can help if they do not.
Keeping infection away
Any catheter carries a risk of urine infection, and the risk rises the longer it stays. Keep the bag below the level of the bladder and off the floor. Wash around where the tube enters the body with soap and water every day. Drink enough fluid, unless you have been told to limit it.
Things to report
Tell the team if the urine becomes cloudy or smelly, if it turns more bloody than before, if you have a fever or shivering, pain low in the tummy or back, or if no urine drains into the bag for a while even though you are drinking.
Commonly believed
What do people worry about with a catheter that is not true?
"Once a catheter is in, you will never pass urine normally again."
Most people pass urine normally once the catheter comes out, though it can take time after surgery in the pelvis. Some need the catheter for longer, or some help at home for a while. Your surgeon will tell you what is likely after your operation.
"Drinking less will mean less urine and less trouble."
Drinking too little makes urine strong and dark, which irritates the bladder and raises the risk of infection and blockage. Unless you have been given a fluid limit, keep drinking steadily through the day.
"Leaking around the catheter means it has come out."
Urine leaking around the tube is usually bypassing, caused by a blockage or a bladder spasm. The balloon is normally still in place. Check the tube for kinks and tell the nurse, or call the team if you are at home.
"Asking for the catheter to come out early speeds recovery."
Taking it out before the bladder or a join has healed can mean it has to go back in, which is more uncomfortable than waiting. It is reasonable to ask what the plan is and what the team is waiting for.
Did you know
Some people go home with a catheter and a leg bag, and have it removed at a clinic visit. It is common after bladder, prostate and some pelvic operations, and the nurses teach you how to manage it before you leave.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the urinary catheter after surgery
Does it hurt to have a catheter put in?
It is usually put in while you are under anaesthetic, so you feel nothing. If it needs to go in while you are awake, a numbing jelly is used first. Most people feel pressure and a brief sting rather than lasting pain, and the nurse will talk you through it.
Does catheter removal hurt?
Most people feel a short sting or pull for a few seconds as it slides out. The first few times you pass urine afterwards may sting a little. Drinking steadily helps. Pain that gets worse, or burning that does not ease, should be reported to the team.
Why do I keep feeling I need to pass urine?
The small balloon holding the catheter sits inside the bladder, and the bladder can sense it as fullness. This feeling is common and usually eases. If it comes with cramps or urine leaking around the tube, tell the nurse, as a spasm or blockage may be the cause.
Is blood in the catheter bag normal?
Some pink or red-tinged urine is common after surgery on or near the bladder or prostate, and early on after the catheter goes in. Thick clots, urine that turns darker red, or no urine draining at all should be reported to the team straight away.
Can I walk around with a catheter?
Yes, and walking is encouraged. Carry the bag below the level of your bladder, or ask for a leg bag. Make sure the tube is not pulled tight. Walking helps your bowels, lungs and circulation, and being up and about is often what the team wants to see before removal.
What if I cannot pass urine after it comes out?
Tell the nurse if you feel the urge but cannot go, or feel no urge at all for several hours after drinking. The bladder may need more time. A scan checks how much urine is inside, and the catheter may be put back for a while before another try.
Will the catheter affect my sex life?
Sex is not advised while the catheter is in. After most operations, the catheter itself causes no lasting change. After pelvic or prostate surgery, sexual function can be affected by the operation itself. Ask your surgeon; it is a normal question, and they expect it.
Can I go home with a catheter?
Yes, many people do after bladder, prostate and some pelvic operations. You will be shown how to empty and change the bags, keep the area clean and spot infection. You will also be told where it will be removed and who to call if something changes.
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Sources
- NHS — Urinary catheters
- Macmillan Cancer Support — What happens after surgery
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- American Cancer Society — Cancer surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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