What does an indwelling tube do?

Medical device. An indwelling tube is a medical device in which a tube is placed into a person's body to drain fluids or gases, commonly found in urinary catheters, gastric tubes, and bile ducts. Indwelling tubes can be used to help catheterize urine for various causes of urinary retention symptoms, such as prostate enlargement. Indwelling tubes are also widely used after general anesthesia procedures, and are usually removed within 1 to 2 days after surgery.