Effects of Preoperative Gabapentin on Clinical Outcomes After Outpatient Midurethral Sling Placement

This study aimed to evaluate transient urinary retention in women undergoing outpatient midurethral sling placement who received preoperative gabapentin (treated) versus those who did not (untreated). Secondary outcomes included unexpected admission rates, analgesic usage, time to discharge, and pain.

This was a retrospective cohort study including women who underwent outpatient midurethral sling placement from 2015 to 2019. Exclusion criteria included suprapubic catheter placement, planned overnight admission, abnormal preoperative postvoid residual volume, and prolonged postoperative catheterization. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate gabapentin usage and urinary retention after adjusting for patient characteristics.

Three hundred two women met the inclusion criteria, with 19.5% experiencing urinary retention after midurethral sling placement. Women older than 65 years were more likely to have urinary retention than those aged 18-65 years (29.8% vs 17.6%, P = 0.054). Of treated participants, 26% had urinary retention versus 18% of untreated participants (P = 0.162). Adjusting for age, parity, pain, operative time, blood loss, sling type, analgesic, scopolamine patch, or hemostatic agent use, treated participants had 72% higher odds of urinary retention (adjusted odds ratio, 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-3.38; P = 0.113). There was no difference in unexpected admission, analgesic usage, time to discharge, or pain between groups.

One of 5 women had urinary retention after outpatient midurethral sling placement. Although no statistically significant difference was found in urinary retention between groups, the odds of urinary retention in the treated group were increased. Because there was no difference in pain, analgesic usage, or time to discharge between groups, investigation regarding gabapentin use for outpatient urogynecologic surgery is needed.