Of the 30 patients catheterised urethrally, 12 (40%) developed urinary tract infections compared with 10 (18%) urinary tract infections in the 56 patients catheterised suprapubically. Five patients (17%) in the urethral group developed urethral strictures with no strictures in the suprapubic group. Two patients catheterised urethrally developed epididymo-orchitis and 1 developed septicaemia. None of the patients with suprapubic catheters developed these complications.