Urologic complications after surgery on lumbosacral spine

Forty-five of 74 patients (60%) postsurgery for disk disease showed findings of neurogenic bladders. Sixty-nine of these patients had no complaints before surgery and presented with complaints only after surgery. We believe this is a high surgical morbidity, and all patients should have a presurgical urodynamic diagnostic evaluation to aid in selection of patients in whom surgery will be most helpful and to establish a presurgical baseline for further postsurgical urodynamic comparison.