A feasibility study of urinary catheter removal protocol following transurethral prostatectomy procedure in older patients

We hypothesized that older patients who underwent a urinary catheter removal protocol would not have an increased risk of postoperative complications. We further hypothesized that the revised protocol would be more suitable for clinical application. This study aimed to develop a urinary catheter removal protocol after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate and to assess the feasibility of the protocol to support catheter removal and promote recovery of self-voiding function. Delayed catheter removal after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate was associated with urinary tract infection and longer hospital stays. However, no strategy has been described to promote recovery of self-voiding function after catheter removal after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate. The urinary catheter removal protocol was developed through expert consensus, including strategies for caring for urinary catheters, assessment of urinary catheter removal, and strategies after urinary catheter removal. Moreover, a quasi-experimental design was adopted in the urology ward of a tertiary care medical centre in southern Taiwan. Patients aged ≥65 years who underwent Transurethral Resection of the Prostate were included. A total of 13 patients (intervention = 5; control = 8) were included in the feasibility evaluation. A urinary catheter removal protocol after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate was developed and the consensus among experts on the urinary catheter removal protocol was 99%. There were no significant differences in terms of bleeding, urine retention, urinary tract infection, or re-catheterization between the two groups. However, in the intervention group, the pain score decreased significantly on the second day after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate. This revised urinary catheter removal protocol after Transurethral Resection of the Prostate may be suitable for clinical applications. However, small size reduces the statistical power of the findings and further studies are needed to examine the current protocol does not have an increased risk of postoperative complications.