Short-term versus long-term catheterization after vaginal prolapse surgery

Utero-vaginal prolapse is one of the commonest cause for vaginal operations in our country. The expense of this operation can be reduced by reducing duration of catheterization and thereby reducing hospital stay. A prospective, comparative hospital based study was used to assess whether removal of an in-dwelling catheter after 24 hours of vaginal operations with anterior colporrhaphy affects the rate of recatheterization, asymptomatic urinary tract infections, and hospital stay in comparison to 72 hours catheterization. We assigned 100 women who underwent vaginal operations. In-dwelling catheter was removed after 24 hours in group A and after 72 hours in group B. The association between Post-operative urinary retention, pus cells count > 5 per High Power Field, bacterial culture positivity and the length of catheterization were assessed by Chi square test. Recatheterization occurred in three patients (6%) of group A and none in group B (P value 0.241). Mean hospital stay after operation was 3.42 days in group A and 4.48 days in group B. Asymptomatic urinary tract infections (pus cells > 5 per High Power Field) occured in nine (18%) in group A and fifteen (30%) in group B (P value 0.16). Bacterial culture positivity occured in seven (14%) in group A and twenty-two (44%) in group B (P value 0.001). Despite increased recatheterization rate, early removal of in-dwelling catheters after uncomplicated vaginal hysterectomy pelvic floor repair and anterior colporrhaphy decreased mean catheterization time, mean hospital stay and asymtomatic urinary tract infection.