EARLY CATHETER REMOVAL FOLLOWING TRANSURETHRAL PROSTATECTOMY - IMPACT ON LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY

Objective To investigate whether early catheter removal following transurethral prostatectomy (TURF) is safe and whether it has any effect on the length of hospital stay. Patients and methods Following transurethral prostatectomy 59 patients were randomized into one of two groups: those whose catheter was removed on day 1 after surgery and those whose catheter was removed on day 2. The incidence of complications and the duration of post-operative hospital stay were assessed. Results Catheter removal on day 1 led to a significantly shorter post-operative hospital stay (2.3 days versus 3.3 days) and did not incur a higher incidence of complications. Conclusion Removal of the catheter on the first day following TURF is safe in selected patients and leads to a shorter post-operative hospital stay.