Effect of early removal of urinary catheter on recovery after vaginal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prolonged retention of urinary catheters (UC) after vaginal surgery is a common practice aimed at preventing postoperative urinary retention and enhancing the success rate of surgery. However, this approach also increases the chance of urinary tract infection (UTI), prolongs hospital stay (LOS), and delays recovery. Balancing these considerations, we investigated the effect of the timing of UC removal. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using four databases to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients who underwent transvaginal surgery and had UC removal within 7 days postsurgery. This systematic review was conducted by two reviewers independently following the PRISMA guideline. This study investigated the timing of catheter removal in relation to the incidence of urinary retention, UTI, and LOS. A total of 8 RCT studies, involving 952 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Six studies revealed no significant difference in the urinary retention rate between early catheter removal group (24 h) and delayed removal group (>48 h, P = 0.21), but exhibited a significantly reduced UTI rate (P < 0.001) in 4 studies. In 2 studies, no significant difference in urinary retention rate between the earlier removal (3 h) and removal at 24 h (P = 0.09), and also UTI rate (P = 0.57). Overall, 5 studies revealed that early catheter removal significantly shortened the LOS by an average of 1–3 days (P ≤ 0.001). Early removal of UC can considerably reduce the rate of UTI and shorten the LOS. Moreover, it has potential benefits in terms of improving the quality of patient care and reducing medical costs.

Yueh-Yin Fang a b, Pei-Fan Mu b, Lok-Hi Chow b c d e

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheng Shin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Institute of Clinical Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
Center for Evidence-based Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Source: Yueh-Yin Fang, Pei-Fan Mu, Lok-Hi Chow. Effect of early removal of urinary catheter on recovery after vaginal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Volume 63, Issue 4. 2024. Pages 451-458. ISSN 1028-4559.

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