Laparoscopic colon surgery: time to leave the urinary catheter in the operating room?

Introduction: 'Fast track' guidelines have incorporated multimodal measures to optimize perioperative outcomes in surgery, with laparoscopy being a pivotal component for its advantages in early recovery. In this setting, current recommendations regarding the use of a urinary catheter suggest its removal within the first 24-hours postoperatively.  However, few studies have assessed the feasibility of leaving the operating room without it. The purpose of this study is to compare the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colonic resections leaving the operating room with and without a urinary catheter.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted utilizing prospectively collected data from patients undergoing elective colon resections over a 17-month period. The patients were classified into two groups based on the presence or absence of a urinary catheter upon leaving the operating room, and subsequently, their perioperative outcomes were compared.

Results: A total of 107 patients met the inclusion criteria (n = 28 with a urinary catheter and n = 79 without). Cancer was the most prevalent diagnosis (83.2%), and right hemicolectomy the most frequently performed surgery (32.7%). Two events of urinary catheter reinsertions were reported, both in the no-catheter group (0% vs 2.53%, p = 0.969), and there were no cases of urinary tract infections. The overall and severe complications rates exhibited no significant differences (25% vs. 26.6%, p = 1, and 7.14% vs. 5.06%, p = 1) and the length of stay was similar (p = 0.220).

Conclusion: Removing the urinary catheter before leaving the operating room appears to be safe and associated with very low rates of urinary retention in selected patients undergoing laparoscopic colonic or upper rectal resections.