Can prolonged use of foley catheters make you incontinent?
There is significant research to suggest that the use of any catheter will eventually cause incontinence when removed. This is because the muscle used to control the flow of urine do not need to be used when a catheter is in situ. Once removed, the muscles will have become so lax that patients find it very difficult to hold in even the smallest amounts of urine. If catheter insertion can be avoided, it should be. All other options must have been exhausted before insertion.