Intravesical catheter knotting: an unusual complication of suprapubic catheterization

Abstract

Suprapubic catheterization is commonly used to drain urine temporarily from the bladder. Although it is a commonly performed procedure, it is not without complications. Many of these complications related to surgical technique. However, some unpredictable complications are related to the catheter itself. Intravesical catheter knotting is a very rare event and usually has been reported in feeding catheters used as an urethral catheter. We report a case of a suprapubic Cystofix catheter knot, removed by sustained traction. This complication was probably due to an excessive length of catheter having been inserted into the bladder, thus forming redundant loops that increased the risk of bending onto itself.