A Study in the Foley Balloon Defying Deflation

Jun, Kwang Soo

Abstract

Foley balloon defying deflation were met in 15 cases among 514 patients who were admitted to the Woo Sok Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine during the period the period of l year from Sep. 1971 to Aug. 1972. The cause of these defying deflation were carefully studied in each catheter. An experimental study was also performed for the determination of the defying deflation mechanism by inflating balloon with water on 100 new Foley catheters and incubating them at 37'C for a week. Air in the balloon is also tested. A new simple technique for deflation was devised and applied successfully in all cases The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. In 13 out of 15 Foley balloon defying deflation were found that valvular mechanism of internal orifice of the inflation tube was the cause and that this deflation occurs in only uneven and upward type Foley catheter in which the more inflation fluid in the balloon the longer internal orifice. which works as valve. (Fig. 2, 3, 4) 2. Adhesion between balloon and internal orifice were found in 2 out of 15 cases and no inflation or deflation was allowed in this type. 3. A11 of these 15 cases were successful deflated by the use of a stainless steel ureteral catheter stylet through the inflation tube. (Fig. 1) 4. Air in the balloon disappears spontaneously in 12-24 hours. 5. No specific sequelae were encountered during or after stylet manipulation.