A CASE STUDY ABOUT TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR UROLOGICAL JOURNEY

Earlier this year, we were contacted by an individual called Sam[i]. Sam is a gentleman in his 70’s who is active, loves to socialise and be outside. A couple of years ago, Sam found himself struggling to urinate, which began to impact on his lifestyle and well-being.  He was diagnosed with detrusor muscle dysfunction, which resulted in chronic urinary retention.  Urinary retention is associated with serious risks, including kidney damage and potential of ruptured bladder.  Sometimes these symptoms will slowly develop, gradually getting worse over time. 

His Urologist prescribed a Foley Catheter to allow Sam to urinate, but unsurprisingly, he hated it.

A Foley Catheter may be the most recognised catheter type to many, but it comes with many drawbacks. For example, the external bag that is always taped to an individual’s leg to collect the urine can result in the person feeling conscious of the bulk, embarrassed that other people might notice it and worried about a potential leak. 

A Solution for Regaining His Dignity

For Sam, he felt all of these things. It impacted on socialising, and he found himself subconsciously drinking less fluid in case it caused a leak. He wanted to feel in control again and live his life in the way he wanted. He found himself spending a great deal of time searching online to find an alternative and came across Ingenion’s website.

As an indwelling device without an external leg bag, cymactive™ sounded like a possible solution. Like a Foley, our device is CE Marked and needs changing every 30 days. Yet, unlike a Foley, it focuses of providing the user with discretion and control over where and when they urinate. This is due to an external actuator magnet, controlled by the user, which opens the internal valve. It sounds technical, but it’s based on a unique, simple design that is ideal for somebody in chronic urinary retention.

Sam reached out to us, and we immediately matched him with our Italian distributor, NextMed for the next stage of his healthcare journey. NextMed is known for leading the way with distribution of innovative and life-improving products to healthcare settings. Here, they contacted one of the hospitals they partner with.

Progressing To the Insertion

NextMed and their contacts moved quickly to be in touch with Sam, asking the right questions to ensure that cymactive™ was ideal for him and to ensure he and his original Urologist were fully informed. They scheduled the insertion and kept in contact until the day of treatment. On the day, it took less than five minutes, and the device was inserted with just two protruding discrete tethers remaining visible.

Before leaving, the Urologist showed Sam how to use the Actuator Magnet to open the internal valve so he could urinate when he needed to and scheduled the removal and insertion of the next device in 30 days. It was also explained that the first few days may feel a little strange and the body would take time to adjust to the new device. For Sam, it took around 24 hours to feel comfortable with the device and confident on how to use it.

Then, Sam could regain a level of freedom that he felt his previous Foley had taken from him. No longer worried about leaks, Sam found himself drinking more than previously and experienced the benefits of being fully hydrated for the first time in years. He felt confident with days out again and socialising without worrying about what the bathroom situation may be, or if a leg bag might be visible. Amongst these benefits also included being able to be sexually active again, something which his previous Foley negatively impacted on.

Looking Ahead

Now, Sam has already had his cymactive™ device changed for multiple months. He’s positive about the impact that this had made to his life and is looking forward to continuing to feel like himself again.

Edward Cappabianca, CEO at Ingenion Medical, commented: ‘We’re so pleased with how our device has helped Sam. When we first started out, we were focused on creating something that improves the current medical device offering for those with chronic retention.

‘As the Foley catheter was designed almost 100 years ago, it’s about time the healthcare sector reconsidered whether it’s still the best option for the patient. In some cases, it will be, or in cases like Sam’s, it wasn’t. We’re seeing more people like Sam reach out because they would like to maintain a more active lifestyle, and are desperate to reclaim control over such an important aspect of their life.  We feel strongly that cymactive™ can help them on that journey.’

Find Out More

To find out more about cymactive™, and in which countries it is available, please contact us using our contact form.

[i] Note that all identifiable information has been changed to protect the individual’s right to privacy.