Spinal Cord Injury

What Makes Equagel Cushions Different From All Other Cushions?

Allegro Medical and Cure Medical have teamed up to provide consumers with a unique incontinence experience. Cure Medical invests into both manufacturing technology and research to find the perfect product for their users.  This dedication came straight from the founder of Cure Medical. Bob Yant, founder of Cure Medical, suffered a C-5 spinal cord injury when he hit his head on a sandbar.  Being a catheter user himself, Bob wanted a product that was different and more comfortable than what the market had to offer. He created what the Cure Catheter is today. Since the day of his injury, Bob became dependent on others and wanted to give back to find a cure. He has committed 10% of all Cure Medical’s net profits to be donated to spinal cord research. Now many devoted scientists can pursue their research and ideas with these donations ¹.

What are pressure ulcers?

It seems that little has changed in the treatment of spinal cord injuries over the last decade. Hope of one day regaining the use of paralyzed limbs rests on the future development of medical technology break-throughs, but where are they?

In the spinal cord injury (SCI) population bladder cancer incidence is around 3% versus the less than 1% in the general population.  Although bladder cancer typically is 100 times more likely in SCI individuals, it is still rather uncommon.  Survivors of spinal cord injury have more concerns with complications of pressure sores, kidney failure and spinal cord cysts.  The risk of bladder cancer increases with the use of a “foley” or “indwelling” catheter or even a suprapubic catheter.  The main culprit for bladder cancer is bladder irritation.  Recurrent or frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or bladder infections, repeat bladder stones, and irritation resulting from catheters are known bladder irritants.  Consult your doctor about your risk of developing bladder cancer if you use catheters especially foley or suprapubic.  Your urologist can inspect your bladder, which is recommended around 5 years after your SCI. ^1,2

Urinary catheters are divided into three main types: External, Intermittent, and Indwelling.  Depending on the patient, and application, picking the best catheter requires an understanding of the variations and benefits provided by each.