Do you have to have a catheter placed in your bladder prior to liposuction?

Almost never is a bladder catheter needed for liposuction. In patients with massive volume liposuction (greater than 5000 mL) the staff might occasionally want to catheter to monitor the overall hydration of the patient.

I have not found this to be necessary, and there can be complications with insertion and removal.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

In a hi definition procedure when you are asleep we do place a catheter to ensure no complications during the procedure and management of fluids.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Generally speaking, there is no need to have bladder catheter in place during the liposuction procedure especially if this is done with mild sedation only. For specific answers, please discuss these questions with your doctor.The less foreign objects introduced into the body the better!I hope that helps and best regards, Dr. Sapijaszko

Good Morning Ms. Reece and thank you for sharing your question.  Depending on the length of time anticipated for liposuction (>3-4 hours) you may need to have a catheter placed.  Talk to your surgeon about your concerns, they are in the best position to help you.

Highly unlikely that you would need a catheter in your bladder. Patients with massive liposuctions may need a catheter to monitor their hydration, however. Thank you for your question.

It will depend on the umber of areas/volume of liposuction being performed. If the procedure is anticipate to be a long one it may be safer to have the catheter during the procedure.

It depends on the area that you are having treated and the amount of liposuction that is going to be performed.  A catheter can help prevent bladder over-distention during a long case and can provide extremely useful information in regards to your hydration status.  Dehydration is a big concern for large volume liposuction and your doctor may just want to know exactly how much urine you are making.  Good luck!

Good question!  Yes, if you are having a large liposuction procedure, most surgeons will place a catheter in your bladder.  If you are having a small office based treatment you may not need one.  In the former case, the catheter is placed after the patient is under anesthesia and so most patients have no recollection of the placement and subsequent removal of the catheter.  I will always discuss with my patient in the pre-operative setting if a catheter is needed and so your surgeon can answer this question for you.  Good luck with your liposuction procedure!

Hi; thanks for your question. In general, urinary catheters are only used in plastic surgery procedures when they are over 4 hours in length (this is a rough guideline for the amount of time it might take for the bladder to get too full during surgery).   Since it is unlikely for a liposuction case to take 4 hours, a urinary catheter should usually not be necessary.