Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Apr-Jun;18(2):265-271.
doi: 10.4103/sja.sja_88_24. Epub 2024 Mar 14.

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR): A narrative review

Chiara Cambise  1 , Roberto De Cicco  1 , Ersilia Luca  1 , Giovanni Punzo  1 , Valeria Di Franco  1 , Alessandra Dottarelli  1 , Teresa Sacco  1 , Liliana Sollazzi  1   2 , Paola Aceto  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR): A narrative review

Chiara Cambise et al. Saudi J Anaesth. 2024 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is defined as the inability to void in the presence of a full bladder after surgery. Complications include delirium, pain, prolonged hospitalization, and long-term altered bladder contractility. Comorbidities, type of surgery and anesthesia influence the development of POUR. The incidence varies between 5% and 70%. History and clinical examination, the need for bladder catheterization and ultrasonographic evaluation are three methods used to diagnose POUR. The prevention of POUR currently involves identifying patients with pre-operative risk factors and then modifying them where possible. Bladder catheterization is the standard treatment of POUR, however, further studies are necessary to establish patients who need a bladder catheter, bladder volume thresholds and duration of catheterization.

Keywords: Postoperative complications; sugammadex; urinary retention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Baldini G, Bagry H, Aprikian A, Carli F. Postoperative urinary retention: Anesthetic and perioperative considerations. Anesthesiology. 2009;110:1139–57. - PubMed
    1. Tammela T, Kontturi M, Lukkarinen O. Postoperative urinary retention. Incidence and predisposing factors. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1986;20:197–201. - PubMed
    1. Johansson RM, Malmvall BE, Andersson-Gäre B, Larsson B, Erlandsson I, Sund-Levander M, et al. Guidelines for preventing urinary retention and bladder damage during hospital care. J Clin Nurs. 2013;22:347–55. - PubMed
    1. Toyonaga T, Matsushima M, Sogawa N, Jiang FS, Matsumura N, Shimojima Y, et al. Postoperative urinary retention after surgery for benign anorectal disease: Potential risk factors and strategy for prevention. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2006;21:676–82. - PubMed
    1. Hall JE. Urine formation by the kidneys. In: Guyton AC, Hall JE, editors, editors. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 11th. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. pp. 307–14.