father and son playing doctor

Pediatric Urology Patient Education

At OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, we know caring for your child after a pediatric urology procedure doesn’t stop when you leave the hospital. Our expert team is here to guide you through every step of care, from catheterization to wound care and bathing.

Home Catheterization Instructions

Learn how to safely catheterize your child at home, including how often to do it and how to keep everything clean and comfortable. Watch this video on home catheterization for a visual walkthrough.

Catheterizing

If your child goes home with a catheter, sometimes called a Foley, it's important to follow these simple steps to keep the area clean and prevent infection:

  • Keep the catheter tubing taped securely to your child’s leg or abdomen to prevent tugging.
  • Empty the drainage bag when it’s about halfway full or every 3–4 hours.
  • Wash around the catheter site with mild soap and water every day.
  • Look for signs of infection: redness, swelling, foul-smelling urine or fever. Call your care team if these occur.

Vaseline Dressing Changes

Some surgeries require dressings to protect the skin or surgical area. These dressings may include Vaseline gauze to keep the wound moist and support healing.

To change a Vaseline dressing:

  • Wash your hands and gather clean supplies.
  • Gently remove the old dressing. If it sticks, wet it with saline or warm water.
  • Pat the area dry with a clean cloth.
  • Apply a new piece of Vaseline gauze, then cover it with clean gauze and tape.
  • Wash your hands again.

Change the dressing as often as your care team recommends, usually once or twice a day.

Surgical Wound Care at Home

After your child’s surgery, it’s important to keep the wound clean and dry. Here are a few other things to remember:

  • Leave the original dressing on until it comes off on its own unless your care team says otherwise.
  • Your child’s surgeon will review wound care instructions immediately following the surgery.
  • If there are any questions about the surgical site during the healing process, contact the surgery office. You can send pictures to your provider through OSF MyChart. Don’t have an account? Get one here.

Watch for signs of infection like redness, swelling, pus or fever and call your doctor with any concerns.

Bathing after Procedures

Bathing helps prevent infection, but you’ll need to follow some special steps at first.

  • Sponge baths are usually recommended for the first 48 hours.
  • If your child has a dressing or catheter, be sure to keep it dry.
  • Once your doctor gives the OK, your child can take showers or baths.
  • Outside of baths, avoid soaking in water (pools, hot tubs, etc.) until the wound is fully healed.
  • After bathing, pat the area dry and apply a clean dressing, if needed.
Urology