Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer: suprapubic catheter sizes are given in French (Fr) units, where each Fr is 0.33 mm of outer diameter. Documented products run from 12 Fr to 24 Fr, and tube-type products also state a length and a balloon volume. This page collects the sizes that manufacturers and device registries publish, so you can read a label or a catalogue entry against one reference.
General product information only, not medical advice. Catheter selection and placement are decisions for the treating clinician.
Suprapubic catheter size chart
Every row below comes from a device registry record or a manufacturer document. The millimetre column is arithmetic (Fr × 0.33 mm, the conversion given by the Merck Manual) rounded to one decimal.
| Product (type) | Size | About (mm) | Other stated details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-Cath system (tube, with introducer set) | 14 Fr | 4.6 | 10 cc balloon, 42 cm | AccessGUDID |
| S-Cath system (tube, with introducer set) | 16 Fr | 5.3 | 10 cc balloon, 42 cm | AccessGUDID |
| S-Cath system, open tip (tube) | 16 Fr | 5.3 | 10 cc balloon, 42 cm | AccessGUDID |
| MiniSPC Button (low-profile button) | 12 Fr | 4.0 | Stoma lengths 0.8 to 10 cm across the range | AMT release |
| MiniSPC Button | 14 Fr | 4.6 | As above | AMT release |
| MiniSPC Button | 16 Fr | 5.3 | As above | AMT release |
| MiniSPC Button | 18 Fr | 5.9 | As above | AMT release |
| MiniSPC Button | 20 Fr | 6.6 | As above | AMT release |
| MiniSPC Button | 24 Fr | 7.9 | As above | AMT release |
| Supra-Foley suprapubic catheter introducer | 12 Fr | 4.0 | Introducer size, not catheter size | AccessGUDID |
| Supra-Foley suprapubic catheter introducer | 16 Fr | 5.3 | Introducer size, not catheter size | AccessGUDID |
The chart lists documented products, not every suprapubic catheter on the market. Check your product’s labelling for its own size, length and balloon volume; the label and instructions for use are the reference, not this table.
How to read the chart
The Merck Manual Professional (last updated February 2026) states that catheters are standardised in French units, also called Charrière (Ch), and that each unit is 0.33 mm, so a 14 Fr catheter is 4.6 mm in diameter. Higher Fr means a wider catheter. The same source gives general catheter ranges of 12 to 24 Fr for adults and 8 to 12 Fr for children; those ranges describe bladder catheters generally, not suprapubic products specifically.
Tube-type records in the registry add two numbers that are not the Fr size: the balloon volume (10 cc for the S-Cath records above) and the overall length (42 cm). Button-type products such as the MiniSPC are specified by Fr size plus a stoma length, which the manufacturer states as a range from 0.8 cm to 10 cm. AMT’s April 17, 2026 release says the button is sold in kits with 12-inch or 24-inch drainage sets.
Tube versus button
Both are suprapubic catheters; the difference is shape. A tube-type catheter has a drainage tube leaving the abdomen, so length matters. A button sits close to the skin, so the stoma length (the tract depth) is the second number you read next to the Fr size. For the wider picture, see the guide to suprapubic catheters and cystostomy and the comparison of a Foley catheter and a suprapubic catheter.
Regulatory terms and equivalence notes
Under 21 CFR 876.5090, a suprapubic urological catheter and accessories is “a flexible tubular device that is inserted through the abdominal wall into the urinary bladder with the aid of a trocar and cannula” and used to pass fluids to and from the urinary tract. It is a Class II device. The openFDA classification database lists separate product codes: FEZ (catheter and tube, suprapubic), KOB (catheter, suprapubic, and accessories), FFA (suprapubic drainage tube) and NWP (suprapubic cystostomy catheter kit), all Class II. Accessories such as introducers and peel-away sheaths carry code QGC and are Class I. The regulation also covers the Malecot catheter.
Foley instructions for use: wire-guide sizes
Cook Medical’s Universa Silicone Foley catheter instructions for use say urinary tract access is usually through the urethra “but may also be accomplished by nephrostomy or suprapubic placement”, and that the device is intended for physicians trained and experienced in that use. This is a general Foley product, not a suprapubic-specific one, but its document sets out which wire guide each open-end size accepts:
| Catheter size | Accepts wire guide |
|---|---|
| 6 and 8 Fr | 0.021 inch |
| 10 and 12 Fr | 0.025 inch |
| 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 Fr | 0.038 inch |
The table applies to open-end catheters in that document. For the general Foley range, see what a Foley catheter is and the urinary catheter types guide.
Common mix-ups
- Introducer size is not catheter size. The Supra-Foley records are for the introducer (12 Fr, 16 Fr). A catheter’s own size is on the catheter’s label.
- Fr is not length. A 16 Fr S-Cath is 5.3 mm across and 42 cm long; the two numbers measure different things.
- Open tip is not the same as standard. The registry lists a 16 Fr S-Cath open-tip record separately from the 16 Fr record.
- Button Fr is not stoma length. For a button, read the Fr size and the stoma length together.
- A Foley chart is not a suprapubic chart. The Cook 6 to 26 Fr range and the Merck 12 to 24 Fr adult range describe catheters in general.
Catalogue entries for related products are listed in the catheters, urology and incontinence category; product labelling still governs.
FAQ
What size is a suprapubic catheter?
Documented products span 12 Fr to 24 Fr: the MiniSPC Button portfolio is 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 24 Fr, and the S-Cath tube records are 14 and 16 Fr. The size for any individual is a clinical decision.
How many mm is 16 Fr?
About 5.3 mm. Each Fr is 0.33 mm (Merck Manual), so 16 × 0.33 = 5.28 mm.
How long is a suprapubic catheter?
The S-Cath records in AccessGUDID give 42 cm. Button-type products are described by stoma length (0.8 to 10 cm for the MiniSPC) instead. Other products differ, so use the label.
Sources
- eCFR / Cornell LII, 21 CFR 876.5090 Suprapubic urological catheter and accessories, law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/876.5090, checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA openFDA device classification database, api.fda.gov/device/classification.json, checked 2026-10-30.
- NLM AccessGUDID, S-Cath (MEDIPLUS LTD) and SUPRA-FOLEY introducer (Utah Medical Products) records, accessgudid.nlm.nih.gov, checked 2026-10-30.
- Applied Medical Technology, MiniSPC Button sizes (Homecare, April 17, 2026), homecaremag.com, checked 2026-10-30.
- Cook Medical, Universa Silicone Foley Catheter instructions for use, ifu.cookmedical.com, checked 2026-10-30.
- Merck Manual Professional, Bladder Catheterization (updated February 2026), merckmanuals.com, checked 2026-10-30.
