Tamsulosin for prevention of postoperative urinary retention: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To determine if administration of tamsulosin before and/or after surgery is safe and effective in preventing postoperative urinary retention (POUR).

A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing tamsulosin to control in patients undergoing surgery was conducted. The primary outcome was the incidence of POUR. Secondary outcomes included maximum urinary flow rate, surgery duration, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, and incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI).

Twenty-three randomized controlled trials (N = 3,555) met inclusion criteria. All were qualitatively analyzed, but one was excluded from quantitative analysis due to lack of statistical data. The risk of POUR was significantly lower with tamsulosin compared with control (relative risk, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.38-0.67; P < 0.001). A significant increase in maximum urinary flow rate with use of tamsulosin versus control was also observed across 4 studies (difference in means, 2.76 mL/sec; 95% CI, 1.21-4.30; P < 0.001). No significant differences between tamsulosin and control were observed amongst the studies that reported mean duration of surgery (P = 0.932), IPSS (P = 0.133), QOL score (P = 0.166), and UTI incidence (P = 0.624).

Administration of tamsulosin before and/or after surgery significantly reduced the risk of POUR and improved maximum urinary flow rate compared to control; however, it had no significant impact on mean duration of surgery, IPSS, QOL score, or UTI incidence. Nonetheless, it may be reasonable for providers to consider administering tamsulosin before and/or after surgery to prevent POUR.