Best Catheters for People with a Spinal Cord Injury

After a spinal cord injury, finding the right catheter can make a real difference in your daily routine. Whether you’re living with quadriplegia, paraplegia, limited hand dexterity, or using a wheelchair, certain catheter features may help make self-catheterization feel more manageable.

My name is Steve, and I’m a Patient Advocate at 180 Medical. I’ve been a quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury for over 30 years, so I understand firsthand how challenging it can be to learn to self-cath with an SCI. And more than that, it can be a struggle to find the right catheters that work for your body, routine, and level of hand function.

There’s no single “best catheter” for everyone with a spinal cord injury. However, features like easy-open packaging, handling sleeves, pre-lubrication, closed system collection bags, extension tubing, and compact designs may be especially helpful depending on your needs and insurance coverage.

Tips for Choosing the Right Catheters After a Spinal Cord Injury

After a spinal cord injury, using intermittent catheters often becomes another part of daily life. As you begin exploring your catheter options, remember that no single type or brand of catheter works for everyone. In other words, what works for one person may not work for another.

Therefore, my first and most important tip is to try various catheters to find what works best for you. Our specialists at 180 Medical can help you explore your product options, try free catheter samples, and determine which catheter fits you best. Plus, we can verify your health insurance plan to determine your catheter insurance coverage.

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What to Look for in a Catheter if You’re in a Wheelchair

After over 30 years of living with my spinal cord injury, I’ve tried my fair share of catheters. Today, I know which features work best for me personally. Plus, I know which catheters work well for others in wheelchairs or living with minimal hand function.

When I think about a catheter I want to use, it should be comfortable, easy to open and hold, and ideal for limited hand dexterity. A discreet, travel-size catheter is a bonus since I frequently travel as a 180 Medical Patient Advocate.

Here are a few other features or options you might want to look for in a catheter if you have limited hand dexterity or you use a wheelchair.

• Easy-open packaging
• Gripping or handling sleeves for no-touch catheterization
• Hydrophilic or pre-lubricated closed system catheters
• Extra-long catheters or extension tubing
• Compact, discreet catheter options for traveling or toting

Easy to Open and Grip

If you’ve got limited hand or limb function like me, a catheter with easy-to-open packaging may be helpful. Depending on the catheter brand and type, you may find packaging with simple tabs, a feature that will help you grip it, or finger or thumb holes for holding and opening.

Catheter Handling Sleeve

I prefer catheters with a gripper sleeve or handling sleeve, which allows me to advance the catheter without touching it directly. This is designed to potentially help reduce the risk of contamination and may also help reduce the risk of urinary tract infections for some people.

Hydrophilic or Pre-lubricated Catheters

Depending on your catheter insurance coverage, you may want to try an advanced catheter, such as a hydrophilic or a pre-lubricated closed system.

Personally, I find these easier to use, so I don’t have to fumble with trying to apply catheter lubricant every time I have to cath.

If you’re in a wheelchair, closed system catheters are nice because they’ve got an integrated collection bag. You can directly cath from your wheelchair into the bag without having to transfer.

Extra-Long Catheter or Extension Tube

If closed system catheters aren’t an option based on your insurance coverage, or you’re just not a fan of that catheter type, an extra-long straight catheter, such as the Cure Pocket™ XL Catheter, may be a better option. These are long enough to cath from your chair and directly drain urine into the toilet.

On the other hand, you may prefer using an uncoated straight catheter or a hydrophilic catheter with an added extension tube, which can basically do the same thing.

There are several options for catheter extension tubes, but I find Cure Catheter® Extension Tubes work great for me. This is because they’re easier to secure into the funnel end of the catheter, even with limited hand dexterity.

Travel Catheters and Compact Catheters

If you frequently travel like me, you may want a catheter that’s both functional and discreet. I cath from my wheelchair and use closed system catheters when I’m at public venues or sporting events because public bathrooms tend to be unclean.

Plus, believe it or not, I’ve cathed on an airplane before. Here’s a helpful travel tip. Ask the gate agent at your airline to see if they can block the seats next to you if it’s not a full flight. More often than not, they’re willing to accommodate your request.

Best Catheters for Spinal Cord Injury or Limited Hand Dexterity

As I list some of my top choices of catheter types for people with a spinal cord injury, please keep in mind that there’s no single brand or type of catheter that will work for everyone. What works for me may not work well for you.

Again, that’s why it’s important to try a few different catheter samples from various brands and types. A little trial and error should help you find what works best for you personally. That said, here are a few of my personal favorites, along with a few other catheters popular among people with spinal cord injuries.

Closed System Catheters

Hollister VaPro Plus Pocket™ Catheter

I’ve found the Hollister VaPro Plus Pocket™ Catheter to be a great option. In my opinion, it feels pretty easy to use, even when you have limited hand dexterity. Plus, it’s compact and discreet, making it a good pocket catheter option.

Pros:

• Easy to open
• Easy and hygienic insertion
• Features a protective sleeve and pre-lubricated introducer tip to minimize contamination
• Compact, discreet design (easy to conceal)

Cons:

• Some people may find the sleeve over the bag difficult to remove
• It may be challenging to unfold the collection bag independently, depending on your level of spinal cord injury

Cure Dextra™ Closed System Catheter

The new Cure Dextra™ Closed System Catheter was made for catheter users with limited hand function. It features large finger holes in the packaging and collection bag, which makes it easier to handle and open.

The Dextra™ catheter has a few unique features, too. A Gripper Arrow on the package helps you advance the catheter with a finger or thumb without retraction. And it has a special introducer tip called ProteX™ with X-shaped slits. These slits help the catheter pass through the first few millimeters of the urethra and may help reduce the transfer of bacteria.

Also, Cure manufactures their catheters without DEHP, natural rubber latex, or BPA.

Pros:

• Easy to open and hold with large finger holes
• ProteX Introducer Tip™
• Support Band gives you the ability to grip the catheter without using both hands
• Designed with limited dexterity users in mind
• New catheter advancement technology: move the arrow back and forth with a thumb or the palm of your hand to advance the catheter
• The catheter tube does not retract like many closed systems
• It has an easy tear-off loop for emptying

Cons:

• Depending on how discreet you want your catheter package, the Cure Dextra is not a pocket-size option

Coloplast SpeediCath® Compact Set

The Coloplast SpeediCath® Compact Catheter Set, also available in female length, is an all-in-one catheter and bag. They are available in male and female lengths. Plus, the SpeediCath® Compact Set for men features a unique telescopic design that fits French size needs between 12 Fr and 18 Fr.

Pros:

• Cool-looking compact design that looks a bit like a travel toothbrush case
• Easy and comfortable to insert
• Ready-to-use (has a pre-activated hydrophilic coating)
• Can insert by holding where the bag connects to the catheter (never have to directly touch the catheter tube itself)

Cons:

• It may be harder to open for some with limited dexterity
• Tube is a bit more rigid than some users may like
• No protective introducer tip

Hydrophilic Catheters

Cure Hydrophilic Catheter

If you’d like an easy-to-use hydrophilic catheter, you might consider Cure hydrophilic catheters, which can include a kit of insertion supplies if your insurance covers it.

Pros:

• Easy-to-open package that opens from both ends
• Evenly coated hydrophilic
• Gripper sleeve
• Easy to fold for discretion, the catheter won’t kink
• Flexible funnel that’s easy to attach to an extension tube

Cons:

• Need to pop a water packet to activate the hydrophilic coating

GentleCath™ Glide Catheters

GentleCath™ Glide catheters feature FeelClean Technology™, which may help provide a faster, cleaner, and more comfortable cathing experience.

Pros:

• Stays lubricated during catheterization
• You can open the package from both ends
• A flexible funnel makes it easy to attach an extension tube
• Long, narrow drainage eyelets, which may help minimize urethral trauma
• Instant activation after popping the water packet; no waiting

Cons:

• Need to pop water packet to activate the hydrophilic properties

LoFric® Origo™ Hydrophilic Catheters

LoFric® Origo™ hydrophilic catheters come with either a straight insertion tip or a coudé catheter tip. The Origo™ catheter’s packaging is easy to fold, making it a nice pocket catheter option. Plus, it has an adjustable insertion grip sleeve that helps grip and control the catheter without touching the tube.

There’s also a new option with a flexible coudé tip, the LoFric® Origo™ FX Coudé, which might be a good option if you need to use a coudé insertion tip.

Pros:

• Easy to open
• Easy to attach an extension tube to its funnel
• Nice design with an insertion grip sleeve to reduce hand contamination
• Urotonic™ Surface Technology minimizes friction during catheterization
• The package doubles as a discreet disposal pouch after you’re done cathing

Cons:

• Must pop a water packet, which can be hard for some people with limited hand function

Straight Catheters

Cure Pocket XL™ Extra-Long Catheters

If you need a straight, uncoated catheter but you prefer to cath without transferring from your chair, the Cure Pocket XL™ Catheter is an extra-long catheter option that might work well for your needs.

Pros:

• Compact pocket-sized package
• No extension tube required
• Can open the package from both ends
• Polished drainage eyelets

Cons:

• Requires lubricating jelly, although Cure includes a sterile packet of lubricant in each Cure Pocket® XL package
• It may be more difficult to insert if you have very limited hand dexterity

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Where to Get Catheter Supplies Through Insurance

Now that you know a few of the top catheter supplies for people with spinal cord injuries, you may be wondering where to get them. 180 Medical has specialized in catheter supplies since the very beginning, when Todd Brown founded our company after he sustained a spinal cord injury in a motocross accident. That means our trained specialists have years of experience helping our customers find the right catheter for their needs.

We carry all of the major manufacturers and catheter brands. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of customer choice because we believe you should be free to find what works best for you based on your prescription and insurance coverage.

We’re ready to help you customize an order that works best for you. Contact our specialists today!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Information provided on 180medical.com should not be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions about your condition, treatment, or medical supply needs.