The effect of early removal of indwelling urinary catheter on postoperative urinary complications in anterior colporrhaphy surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether immediate removal of an indwelling catheter after anterior colporrhaphy influences the rate of re-catheterisation and symptomatic urinary tract infections.

METHODS

A prospective randomised study conducted on 90 women divided into two groups who underwent anterior repair. The indwelling catheter was removed immediately (early catheter removal), and at least 24 h after the operation in case and control groups, respectively. The association between clinical variables and the duration of catheterisation and continuous data were analysed by chi(2) test and two-tailed t-test, respectively. Excel and SPSS 15.0 software were used, and a P-value of 0.05 or less was considered to indicate statistically significant differences.

RESULT: Symptomatic urinary tract infection was significantly lower in early catheter-removal group; also patients in this group reported significantly less pain and voiding disturbances. Only a few of women required re-catheterisation after failing to void and all were able to resume normal voiding, also had shorter ambulation time and hospital stay.

CONCLUSION

Early removal of an indwelling catheter immediately after anterior colporrhaphy was not associated with adverse events and increased rate of re-catheterisation. In this group, symptomatic urinary tract infection was significantly lower. Moreover, early removal of indwelling catheters immediately after operation seemed to decrease the ambulation time and hospital stay.