A new study published in The Spine Journal examines the postoperative urinary retention rate for patients who undergo surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.
The study authors examined 284 patients who underwent spine surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. There were 125 males and 159 females involved in the study, and the average age was 63 years old. The study authors found:
1. Postoperative urinary retention occurred in 27.1 percent of the patients.
2. The risk factors significantly associated with postoperative urinary retention were:
• Older age
• Duration of surgery
3. Each patient was encouraged to void within six hours of surgery and every four to six hours thereafter, according to voiding care protocol. The formula researchers developed to determine the probability of postoperative urinary retention showed a probability of 0.26 or more as the cut-off value.
4. The study authors concluded postoperative urinary retention was a common morbidity among patients who undergo surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.
5. The researchers recommended surgeons adopt a systematic postoperative voiding care protocol designed "to prevent bladder overdistension and detrusor damage, especially for elderly patients and those who have undergone longer surgeries."