Evaluation of Risk Factors for Postoperative Urinary Retention in Elective Thoracolumbar Spinal Fusion Patients

Retrospective case series.

Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) represents a common postoperative complication of all elective surgeries. The aim of this study was to identify demographic, comorbid, and surgical factors risk factors for POUR in patients who underwent elective thoracolumbar spine fusion.

Following institutional review board approval, patients who underwent elective primary or revision thoracic and lumbar instrumented spinal fusion in a 2-year period in tertiary and academic institution were reviewed. Sex, age, BMI, preoperative diagnosis, comorbid conditions, benign prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, primary or revision surgery status, narcotic use, and operative factors were collected and analyzed between patients with and without POUR.

Of the 217 patients reviewed, 54 (24.9%) developed POUR. The average age for a patient with POUR was 67 ± 9, as opposed to 59 ± 10 for those without (P < .0001). Single-level fusions were associated with a 0% incidence of POUR, compared with 54.5% in 6 or more levels. The average hospital stay was increased by 1 day for those who had POUR (5.8 ± 3.3 vs 4.9 ± 3.9 days). There was no significant association with other demographic variables, comorbid conditions, or surgical factors.

POUR was a common complication in our patient cohort, with an incidence of 24.9%. Our findings demonstrate that patients who developed POUR are significantly older and have larger constructs. Patients who developed POUR also had longer in-hospital stays. Although our study supports other findings in the spine literature, more prospective data is needed to define diagnostic criteria of POUR as well as its management.