Living with a urostomy while keeping your native bladder can be a unique experience. This situation often arises when someone has had urostomy surgery but still retains their bladder. In some cases, like the one shared, a suprapubic catheter was used before the surgery, which led to repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs). Faced with the choice between a stoma or a belly-button conduit drain, the individual opted for a stoma. However, UTIs continued to be an issue, requiring continuous antibiotics and weekly bladder flushes by a home-care nurse.

Here are some helpful insights and advice for managing this condition:

1. Many people live successfully with both an ostomy (ileal conduit) and an intact bladder, so you are not alone in this journey.

2. Recurrent UTIs can often be managed by self-catheterizing and irrigating the bladder with liquid antibiotics, rather than relying solely on oral antibiotics. Daily irrigation, especially during an active infection, can help flush out bacteria and may reduce the need for continuous oral medication.

3. Gentamicin bladder flushes are commonly used and, when done regularly, can reduce the frequency of infections and the associated discomfort.

4. If you are still using a suprapubic tube, consider checking the catheter material. Latex allergies can sometimes cause chronic infections. Switching to a non-latex catheter has resolved this issue for some long-term users.