CIC has been a recognised treatment for bladder problems for centuries. Even Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans practised CIC.
The first known catheters were made of metal (gold, silver or iron) but also of wood. They could be used for many purposes. Above all, they were used to empty the bladder and for treating urine retention. In some cases, the catheter could also be used to administer drugs into the body.
Other applications were to blow away bladder stones.
The human body has not changed much through the years. Even thousands of years ago, we knew it was important to try and minimise damage to the urethra when inserting a catheter. In order to reduce friction, the catheter was lubricated with butter, oil or soft cheese!
With time, new materials from which to make catheters became available, among them bronze, lead and animals' intestines.
In the early 19th century, the first rubber catheters were introduced.
...they did as we do now.
The balloon catheter was introduced in 1935. This solved the problem of keeping the catheter in place. During the Second World War, severely wounded soldiers' urine quantities were measured using catheters.
In the middle of the 20th century, it was found that long-term use of indwelling catheters led to significant complications, such as UTIs, chronic inflammation and reduced kidney functionality. At the end of the 1970's, it was found that CIC, in other words the method of emptying a bladder with a catheter that is inserted at the time of emptying and withdrawn immediately afterward, is a gentle way of bladder emptying for people with bladder problems.