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My bladder, my life

Bladder management

  • Bladder types
  • Starting with catheters
  • Problems
  • Life hacks
  • Inside the bladder
  • Equipment
Starting with catheters
  • Intermittent catheter
    • Other options for managing your bladder
      • Indwelling catheter
      • Suprapubic catheter
      • Reflex emptying
      • Straining or expressing

      Reflex emptying

      Reflex emptying is a method of bladder management that uses the reflex activity of your bladder muscle and sphincter.

      How does reflex emptying work?

      Under normal circumstances the reflex activity of your bladder muscle and sphincters coordinate.  As the bladder fills the muscle stretches. This triggers a reflex response that causes the muscle to contract, increasing the pressure in the bladder. At this time, the sphincters would normally relax, but the SCI stops this from reliably happening.

      With reflex emptying the sphincter relaxes intermittently, which allows urine to pass. Sometimes you have no control over your external sphincters after an SCI, and equipment is needed to collect and store the urine.

      Considerations for reflex emptying

      Reflex emptying is only recommended if:

      • Bladder pressures are safe (this is determined during urodynamics)
      • No or little urine is left in the bladder after you empty.

      Reflex emptying is not for everyone

      Reflex emptying can be damaging if the pressure inside the bladder is too high when urine is passed. This pressure might be so high that urine flows back into your kidneys. This is known as vesicoureteral reflux. This is usually caused by the external sphincter not opening.

      It’s also important that your bladder empties properly. Think about stagnant water, and the algae that form. When excess urine is trapped or not allowed to flow it is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, allowing it to multiply and cause infection.

      It’s recommended that people who use reflex emptying as bladder management have yearly urodynamic studies.

      Suprapubic catheter
      Straining or expressing

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      Quick links

      • Bladder types
      • Starting with catheters
      • Problems
      • Life hacks
      • Inside the bladder
      • Equipment

      About this resource

      This web resource is part of a research project to improve bladder management at the Austin, by increasing the use of intermittent catheterisation.

      The research project is funded by TAC.

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      This research project is brought to you by

      Austin Health
      TAC
      ISCRR
      WorkSafe

      Contacts

      Austin Health
      03 9496 5000
      Victorian Spinal Cord Service
      03 9496 5220
      Spinal Urology Nurse
      03 9496 5904
      spinalurologynurse@austin.org.au
      VSCS outpatient Nurse
      03 9496 5176
      vscsoutpatients@austin.org.au

      Disclaimer

      This information has been developed for Austin Health use and has been specifically designed for Austin Health. This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. The authors have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up to date and easy to understand. Austin Health accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed on this website. Written information should only be used in conjunction with advice from the health professional who is looking after you.