Results:Of the 114 patients who underwent laparoscopic prostatectomy, 64 56% were deemed suitable for removal of catheter on second postoperative day prior to discharge. The first 20 patients selected for early removal of urethral catheter were covered with a suprapubic catheter inserted at the time of surgery. Out of 64 patients deemed suitable for early removal of urethral catheter, 53 83% were able to pass urine without complication. 11 patients 17% developed urinary retention that necessitated recatheterisation. In all cases, reinsertion of catheter was performed easily and successfully without the need for cystoscopic guidance or adjuncts.
This study looked at patients who were deemed suitable to have their catheters removed after 2 days of laparoscopic prostatectomy. This was not done robotically, which makes the skill of the surgeons in accurate suturing very impressive. They had a relatively high re-cathetrization rate of 17%. I wonder if these patients were still in the hospital on day number 2. Urinary retention is a bigger deal if the patient is at home and has to come to the office or emergency room for catheter reinsertion.
I did not read the paper, just the abstract, but I assume they did not perform any reconstructive techniques that I have been performing since 2007. This reconstructive work makes the bladder neck more fixed and I have not seen very much retention (2-3%) when I have removed catheters after 2-3 days after dvP.