A bowel management system (10) includes a waste collection catheter (12) for use in a patient having first and second catheter sections (20,18). The first catheter section (20) is disposed in the patients rectum in a normal use position and is stiff enough to automatically maintain an open position for free flow of bowel waste when in the normal use position, yet is soft and pliable enough to permit folding longitudinally for ease of insertion into the rectum of the patient. The second catheter section (18) is disposed in the anal canal of the patient in the normal use position and is sufficiently soft to permit retention within the anal canal of the patient for extended periods of time. A selectively collapsible, substantially spherical retention balloon (24) is attached coaxially and exterior of the first catheter section (18) for retaining the first catheter section (18) in the patients rectum.
