No-catheter suprapubic vacuum drainage of the bladder and prostatic cavity after transvesical prostatectomy

A no-catheter technique in prostatic adenectomy using two suprpubic Drevac vacuum drains, but no catheter or continuous irrigation to keep the bladder and prostatic cavity empty is described. 90 consecutive prostatectomies treated with this technique are compared to 60 prostatectomy cases treated in the routine way using a catheter and continuous irrigation. It was demonstrated that the no-catheter method was more aseptic and urinary and other postprostatectomy infections were significantly fewer than with the usual technique. Temporary, partial incontinence was also less common when a catheter was not used. The nursing personnel liked the technique because it made the postoperative care easier and simpler. The average postoperative inpatient stay was 10 days in the no-catheter group and 13 days in the catheter group.