Ureteral Catheters - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The ureteral catheters market size is expected to increase from USD 1.97 billion in 2025 to USD 2.09 billion in 2026 and reach USD 2.77 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.86% over 2026-2031. This report is Segmented by Product Type (Open-End Ureteral Catheters, Closed-End Ureteral Catheters, Dual-Lumen Ureteral Catheters, and More), Material (Silicone, Polyurethane, and More), Application (Urinary Drainage, Ureteroscopy and Stone Management, and More), End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Global Ureteral Catheters Market Trends and Insights

Rising Burden of Urolithiasis and Ureteral Obstruction

The clinical burden of urolithiasis provides a durable base of demand for the ureteral catheters market. The December 2025 meta-analysis estimated a pooled global prevalence of 10.85% across 1,276,826 (1.28 million) participants in 22 studies. It reported a prevalence of 12.93% among males and 8.91% among females, a difference that affects the mix of stone-management access procedures used by care providers. Asia recorded 11.8% prevalence, compared with 8.3% in North America, which points to substantial unmet procedural capacity in high-burden regions. Greater use of ureteroscopy and retrograde intrarenal surgery expands the patient base for catheter procedures. It also increases the addressable patient base across the ureteral catheters market as treatment pathways become more accessible.

Increasing Adoption of Minimally Invasive Urological Procedures

Flexible ureteroscopy and retrograde intrarenal surgery have raised the functional requirements for catheter systems used for access and working channels. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that flexible and navigable suction ureteral access sheaths achieved a day-1 stone-free rate relative risk of 2.12 against standard sheaths, with p=0.019. The same analysis reported 59% lower overall postoperative complications, with a relative risk of 0.41 and p< 0.001. These results make suction capability and navigable tip performance more important in procurement decisions across the ureteral catheters market. The move toward disposable ureteroscopes also supports demand because each procedure requires a compatible access catheter within the procedural kit. The ureteral catheters market benefits when providers view the catheter as a necessary part of a single-use endourology workflow rather than as an isolated supply item.

Catheter-Related Infection, Trauma, and Encrustation Risk

Encrustation, biofilm formation, and insertion trauma limit use in long-indwelling and repeat-use scenarios across the ureteral catheters market. A 2025 in vitro study found a mean encrustation weight gain of 0.76±0.45 mg/mm for silicon-covered metallic ureteral stents and 1.30±0.81 mg/mm for PTFE-covered alternatives, with p=0.004. The result shows that material performance can differ substantially and can complicate procurement decisions. A separate 2025 randomized study found lower calcium and magnesium adherence on stents using Percushield and pHreeCoat technologies than on Hydroplus-coated controls. Material improvements can address some risks, but they also add cost and complicate product selection. Placement and retrieval can also cause ureteral trauma in patients with fragile tissue, which may limit the case for frequent exchanges.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Growth of Single-Use and Infection-Controlled Catheter Workflows
• Expansion of Ambulatory Urology and Same-Day Surgery
• Reimbursement and Hospital Cost-Containment Pressure

Segment Analysis

Open-end ureteral catheters held 26.84% of the ureteral catheters market share in 2025, the largest share among product configurations. Their broad use in retrograde pyelography, ureter drainage, and pre-ureteroscopy catheterization supports steady procedural demand. Availability in several French sizes and from many suppliers supports clinical flexibility while sustaining competitive pricing and limiting revenue per unit. Ureteral access catheters are projected to record a 7.14% CAGR through 2031. Their growth reflects increased use of disposable flexible ureteroscopy and suction-enabled sheath systems across the ureteral catheters market.

Cook Medical commercially launches the Syfonix suction ureteral access sheath in March 2026 for the United States and Canada. The single-use sheath has inner diameters from 9 Fr to 12 Fr and provides fingertip suction control during ureteroscopic kidney stone management. Cook Medical also launches the 7.5 Fr Ascend single-use flexible ureteroscope with the product line. Closed-end and dual-lumen products retain defined roles in contrast injection and complex drainage, while balloon catheters remain linked to ureteral stricture dilation. Diagnostic and retrograde pyelography products continue to support imaging-oriented procedures in the ureteral catheters market.

Polyurethane accounted for 38.57% of revenue in 2025 and remained the leading material type. Its pushability, tensile strength, memory effect, and kink resistance support use across many ureteral catheter designs. Hydrophilic or PTFE surface coatings can help polyurethane products address long-indwelling use while retaining their role against newer materials. PTFE-based materials are forecast to grow at a 6.68% CAGR through 2031. Their chemical inertness, low insertion friction, and resistance to biofilm adhesion support their uptake in the ureteral catheters market.

A 2025 study described water-dispersible antibacterial polyurethane coatings based on a piperazine formulation for medical catheters.This work showed that material choice and surface technology are becoming more closely linked. Silicone remains relevant for long-term stenting applications where biocompatibility and infection resistance are prioritized over column strength. Polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene continue to serve cost-sensitive purchasing environments, while nylon provides a more rigid alternative for diagnostic catheterization requiring consistent contrast delivery. The ureteral catheters industry, therefore, has material demand that varies by procedure duration, clinical need, and tender conditions.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Product Type
  • Open-End Ureteral Catheters
  • Closed-End Ureteral Catheters
  • Dual-Lumen Ureteral Catheters
  • Balloon Ureteral Catheters
  • Ureteral Access Catheters
  • Diagnostic and Retrograde Pyelography Catheters
  • Other Ureteral Catheters
• By Material
  • Silicone
  • Polyurethane
  • Polyvinyl Chloride
  • Polyethylene
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene
  • Nylon
  • Other Materials
• By Application
  • Urinary Drainage
  • Ureteroscopy and Stone Management
  • Ureteral Stenting
  • Diagnostic Imaging and Retrograde Pyelography
  • Other Applications
• By End User
  • Hospitals
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers
  • Specialty Urology Clinics
  • Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Centers
  • Other End Users
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • Middle East and Africa
    • GCC
    • South Africa
    • Rest of Middle East and Africa
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Rest of South America

Geography Analysis

North America accounted for 37.94% of global revenue in 2025 and held the largest regional position in the ureteral catheters market. The United States supports high per-capita stone management procedure volumes and a developed reimbursement structure for urology services. The shift of procedures to ambulatory surgical centers is increasing catheter use at outpatient sites, and CMS issued a July 2025 payment system update for that setting. Canada maintains tertiary urology volumes through provincial health systems and tends to favor competitively priced disposable formats. Mexico is expanding through private-hospital capacity and broader insured population coverage under health system reform programs.

Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at a 7.22% CAGR through 2031, making it the fastest-growing region in the ureteral catheters market. Demographic aging, healthcare investment, and local manufacturing capacity support this trajectory. China benefits from expanding infrastructure, wider insurance coverage, stronger imaging access, and wider availability of advanced urology procedures beyond top-tier hospitals. Volume-based procurement can reduce prices for standard catheter formats while preserving interest in advanced coated and single-use designs that meet tender requirements. India is expanding urology infrastructure in tier-2 cities, while South Korea, Japan, GCC countries, Brazil, and Argentina add demand through advanced endourology, older populations, private hospitals, and tertiary care.

Europe contributed a significant share of revenue in 2025, with Germany, the United Kingdom, and France as major volume markets. Germany’s bundled payment structure for ureteral stone removal constrains premium device adoption when benefits are not clearly differentiated. NICE guidance on the Memokath 051 Ureter recommended prospective collection of data on patient selection, stent choice, and adverse events for ureteric obstruction management, supporting closer assessment of stent procedure outcomes. Italy, Spain, and the Nordic countries offer growing public-sector procedure volumes, while reimbursement limits and EU medical device rules affect the ureteral catheters market in Europe.

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Advin Health Care
• Allium Medical Solutions Ltd.
• B. Braun
• Beckton Dickinson
• Boston Scientific
• Coloplast
• Cook Group
• Merit Medical Systems
• Olympus
• optimed Medizinische Instrumente GmbH
• PNN Medical A/S
• ROCAMED
• Teleflex
• UROMED Kurt Drews KG
• UROTECH GmbH
• Well Lead Medical Co., Ltd.
• Zhejiang Chuangxiang Medical Technology Co., Ltd.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support