Is a urinary catheter required for jaw implant surgery?

Thank you for your question—and you're absolutely not alone in feeling uncomfortable about urinary catheters. Many patients share similar concerns, and it's completely okay to bring this up with your surgeon and anesthesiologist before surgery.
For jaw implant and buccal fat pad removal surgery, urinary catheters are typically not required, especially if:
The procedure is relatively short (usually under 2–3 hours).
You're having local anesthesia with sedation rather than general anesthesia.
You don’t have any underlying medical conditions that affect bladder control or urine output monitoring.
Urinary catheters are most commonly used in longer surgeries or in cases where precise fluid management is critical, which is more common in major body surgeries rather than facial procedures.
Yes—you can absolutely refuse a catheter, and your surgical team should respect that, unless there's a very specific medical reason that would make one necessary (which seems unlikely in your case). Let them know your concerns during your pre-op consultation so they can plan accordingly.