The catheter (the tube inserted into your bladder to drain urine) is removed for a trial period to see whether you can pass urine (wee) without it. You will also have a scan of your bladder as part of the trial.

It will show if you can empty your bladder without a catheter. The bladder scan will show if there is any urine left in your bladder after.

You will need to have another catheter put in if you can’t empty your bladder without it. There is also a risk of developing a urinary tract infection. All possible steps are taken to reduce this risk.

We won’t be able to see how well you can pass urine without a catheter. This means you will need long-term catheterisation.

There are no other tests that can check how well you can empty your bladder.

Please make sure that you have a measuring jug and access to a phone on the day of the trial. You will need to stay at home throughout the trial so that the district nurse can check your progress.

  1. The district nurse will visit you early in the morning to remove your catheter.
  2. You will be given a fluid chart to fill in for the day. You will need to measure all urine that you pass using a measuring jug. You must write down the amount on the chart.
  3. Please drink plenty of fluids during the day, but no more than 4 mugs or 6 cups in 6 hours. Please write this down on your fluid chart.
  4. The district nurse will phone you 3 to 4 hours after the catheter was removed. She will ask if you have passed urine, how much you have had to drink and if you have any discomfort.
  5. They will then visit you 6 hours after your catheter was removed to check your fluid chart and do a bladder scan. For this, the nurse will ask you to lie down. They will then pass a probe over your lower stomach area to get an image of your bladder on a screen. This does not hurt.

You may need another visit later in the evening and / or the next morning.

We will give you a contact number if you have any queries or problems during the trial.

If you are weeing normally, you will not need another catheter. If you can’t, you will have another catheter put in. We will talk about how this is managed.

If the nurse cannot put the catheter in, you will need to come to hospital to have it done.