What is intermittent self-catheterization?

Intermittent self-catheterization (ISC) is a way of emptying your bladder using a thin tube called a catheter. The catheter is put into your bladder to help drain the urine (pee) out completely.

Self-catheterization is when you place a catheter into your own bladder to drain the urine and empty your bladder.

Intermittent means you do ISC “from time to ti​me,” usually at regular intervals throughout the day.

Why might you need to do ISC?

You may need to do ISC when your bladder doesn’t empty as well as it should.

In Section 1: How the bladder works, you learned some of the reasons that the bladder doesn’t drain urine properly:

• nerves that may be damaged
• underactive bladder muscle
• swelling around the urethra (the tube that leads to the bladder)
• something blocking the bladder from emptying.

ISC can help you empty your bladder completely. You may need to do ISC 1 or 2 times a day, or more often, depending on how well you can void (pee) on your own.

You may need to do ISC for a short time, like after swelling from surgery goes down. Or you may need to do it long-term. Some people do ISC for the rest of their lives.

Can I really do ISC?

The idea of putting in a catheter (catheterizing) yourself can be scary. It can seem complicated at first. Many people are afraid that they can’t do this or that they could cause harm by doing it wrong. But remember that many people do this with no problems at all.

After learning how to do ISC and getting used to it, self-catheterization can be simple, safe, and can make you feel much more comfortable. It doesn’t need to take up any more time than normal bathroom visits do.

The next sections in this learning module explain how to do ISC step by step.