21.10.2026 01:20
The life of Evan Francis, who lives in England, turned into a nightmare because she could not urinate. The 30-year-old woman, diagnosed with the rare Fowler syndrome, has to use a catheter to empty her bladder while also battling recurrent infections. One liter of urine was drained from Francis's bladder at a time in the hospital, and she is now waiting for surgery expected to make her life easier.
Evan Francis, 30, who lives in the UK, has been unable to urinate normally for about 2.5 years due to a rare condition called Fowler's syndrome. Francis, who received treatment for a long time due to health problems that began with abdominal bloating and back pain, had 1 liter of urine that had accumulated in her bladder drained through an intervention performed at the hospital. The young woman is now waiting for surgery that will allow her to empty her bladder through her navel.
HER SYMPTOMS BEGAN WITH BACK PAIN AND ABDOMINAL BLOATING
Evan Francis's health problems began in late 2023. Francis, who consulted her family doctor on January 3, 2024, with complaints of back pain and abdominal swelling, was given antibiotics on suspicion of a urinary tract infection.
About two weeks later, Francis went to the doctor again with the same complaints and said she had been unable to urinate for two days. However, her complaints were again associated with a urinary tract infection.
An ultrasound examination performed in February 2024 found about 300 milliliters of urine in her bladder, and she was referred to the urology department. While waiting for her appointment, Francis was unable to urinate for 36 hours and her condition worsened. After experiencing dizziness and nausea, she went to the hospital. Doctors drained the 1 liter of urine that had accumulated in her bladder with the help of a catheter.
FOWLER'S SYNDROME WAS DIAGNOSED
Francis underwent cystoscopy in May 2024, two separate MRI examinations in June, and urodynamic tests in July. Following the evaluations, she was diagnosed with Fowler's syndrome, a rare condition that prevents urine from being passed normally.
Fowler's syndrome is defined as a condition seen especially in young women that can make it difficult for urine to be passed from the bladder. In this disorder, because the muscles around the urethra do not relax as they should, the bladder may not be able to empty. In some patients, the sensation of needing to urinate may also decrease.
SHE WAS HOSPITALIZED DUE TO RECURRENT INFECTIONS
After the diagnosis, Francis was told that she needed to use a catheter to empty her bladder. The young woman, who initially tried to continue her life with a catheter that collected urine in a bag, said that this negatively affected her daily life and self-confidence.
Francis, who stated that she had urinary tract infections 35 times between February and August 2024, was hospitalized due to sepsis in August. She then began using a suprapubic catheter inserted through the lower abdomen to drain urine from her bladder.
SHE WILL BE ABLE TO EMPTY HER URINE THROUGH HER NAVEL
In December 2025, an electronic device intended to stimulate the bladder muscles was implanted as part of Francis's treatment. However, this procedure did not produce the expected result.
The young woman was placed on a waiting list in February 2026 for surgery that will use her appendix to create a channel in the abdominal wall. The planned procedure aims to drain urine through a channel that will be opened in the navel area.
Francis, who said that what she went through was also psychologically difficult, expressed that urinary problems should be discussed more and research into this rare condition should be increased.