Questions on the balloon inflation step.
Q: What balloon size is recommended?
A: A healthcare professional will advise you of the appropriate balloon size. It should be just big enough to hold the catheter in place and seal the anal opening to minimize leakage during irrigation.
Navina Classic; Maximum 5 pumps for the regular catheter and maximum 2 pumps for the small catheter.
Navina Smart; Maximum step 5 for the regular catheter and maximum step 3 for the small catheter.
Q: Why shall the Navina balloon catheter regular with Navina Classic be inflated with maximum 5 pumps?
A: The maximum size of balloon inflation was selected after consultation with healthcare professional experts, to meet the anatomical needs and prevent over-inflation of the balloon and the risk of balloon burst.
Q: Why shall the Navina balloon catheter small with Navina Classic be inflated with maximum 2 pumps?
A: The maximum size of balloon inflation was selected after consultation with healthcare professional experts, to meet the anatomical needs, safety in children, prevent over-inflation of the balloon and the risk of balloon burst.
Q: Why can't I inflate the Navina balloon catheter regular with Navina Smart more than to step 5?
The maximum size of balloon inflation was selected after consultation with healthcare professional experts, to meet the anatomical needs, prevent over inflation of the balloon and the risk of balloon burst.
Q: Why shouldn’t I inflate the Navina balloon catheter small with Navina Smart more than to step 3?
A: The maximum size of balloon inflation was selected after consultation with healthcare professional experts, to meet the anatomical needs, safety in children, prevent over-inflation of the balloon and risk of balloon burst.
Q: Can the size of the balloon be adjusted with the Navina Classic control unit?
A: The balloon can be deflated by pressing the deflation button on the control unit. It can also be inflated further but should not be inflated more than the healthcare professional have recommended.
Q: Can the size of the balloon be adjusted with the Navina Smart control unit?
A: The balloon can be deflated by pressing the deflation button on the control unit. However it cannot be inflated after the irrigation have been started.
Q: Can the balloon burst and, if so, is it dangerous?
A: Yes, there is a risk of the balloon bursting and this is why the maximum number of pumps for Navina Classic and maximum set sizes for Navina Smart are defined per catheter size. If the balloon bursts despite following the recommendations by your healthcare professional, this may certainly be discomforting although generally not dangerous. There are however a few reported cases of patients that have had bowel perforations due to balloon burst. It should be noted that the risk for bowel perforation is 1 out of 500,000 irrigations or 0.0002%.¹
Q: What if the balloon does not inflate when I press the button on the Navina Smart control unit?
A: Make sure the Navina Smart control unit is on and that it is in the instillation mode. This is the only mode where the balloon can be inflated. Make sure the tubes are connected at the right place. Make sure the tubes are connected tightly so the air does not leak. Make sure the tubes are not blocked or kinked. Make sure the catheter has not been used before. The Navina Smart control unit automatically rejects used catheters with a 3 hour time limit, for hygiene and balloon safety reasons.
Q: Why can the inflation sometimes stop with Navina Smart before the balloon has reached its set size?
A: Navina Smart is equipped with an automatic safety stop that is activated when the pressure in the rectum is considered high. As a consequence, inflation may stop before the balloon is inflated to the set size. This will be clearly visible on the display.
Q: What if I cannot inflate the catheter balloon more when I press the balloon inflation button on my Navina Smart control unit?
A: It may have reached the maximum balloon size selected in the settings. If there is a “<” sign beside the balloon size on the display, it means you have deflated the balloon but not completely and then tried to reinflate it. For safety purposes only a limited amount of air can be reinflated. Deflate the balloon completely until the ‘<’ sign besides the balloon disappears and then it will be possible to inflate it again up to the maximum setting.
Q: I get error messages about pump malfunction on my Navina Smart control unit, what can I do?
A: Check that the air outlet on the back side of the Navina Smart control unit is free and unblocked. Check for free flow in all tubes. Check for blockage in the connections. Check for correct assembling of the tubes and catheter. Replace the catheter, tubes and water container and try again, if needed restart Navina Smart control unit and try again.