Incidence and risk factors for urinary retention after endoscopic hernia repair

Background: Postoperative urinary retention (PO-UR) frequently complicates the repair of inguinal hernias. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for developing PO-UR in patients undergoing endoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Methods: The incidence of PO-UR was determined by a retrospective review of a prospective patient database for all patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair by I surgeon from 2001 to 2003 at a tertiary referral center. A case-control study was used to identify risk factors for the development of PO-UR. Results: Thirty-four (22.2%) out of 153 patients undergoing endoscopic inguinal hernia repair developed PO-UR. The use of narcotic analgesia and the volume of intravenous postoperative fluid administered were significant risk factors (P < .05) for the development of PO-UR. Conclusions: Postoperative urinary retention is common after totally extraperitoneal and transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repairs and is associated directly with increased narcotic and postoperative intravenous fluid administration. (c) 2006 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.