Retraction technique for urinary catheterization of women with female genital mutilation.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the retraction technique for urinary catheterization of women with Type III female genital mutilation (FGM).

STUDY

DESIGN

The hospital records of all women from Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eritrea, and Chad who were admitted to King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012 were reviewed. Women with Type III FGM who had urinary catheterization were identified and their records were examined.

RESULTS

During the study period, 162 women with Type III FGM had urinary catheterization by residents in our hospital. One hundred and twelve (69.1%) women had urinary catheterization by the standard procedure and 50 (30.9%) by the retraction technique because of failure of the standard procedure. No attempts to use the technique were unsuccessful; that is, no procedures were converted to emergency defibulation. No complications occurred during insertion or while the catheter was in place (37.5±5.6h).

CONCLUSIONS

The retraction technique provides a safe and effective option for urinary catheterization of women with Type III FGM.