Ideal timing of indwelling catheter removal after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with a running barbed suture technique: a prospective analysis of 425 consecutive patients.

To compare prospectively early outcome and complications of catheter removal after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on the 4th or 7th day with a standardized running barbed suture technique.

The time point of removing the indwelling catheter after RARP mainly depends on institute's/surgeon's preferences. Removal should be late enough to avoid urinary leakage and complications such as acute urinary retention (AUR) but early enough to avoid unnecessary catheter indwelling.

A consecutive single-institutional series of patients underwent RARP between July 2015 and August 2017 and were entered in a prospectively maintained data base. Between July 2015 and December 2016 a cystogram was performed on 7th postoperative day (group A), thereafter the cystogram was performed on 4th postoperative day (group B). Incidence of acute urinary retention (AUR), urinary tract infections (UTI) and adverse events between the two cohorts was compared.

425 patients were analyzed (group A: n = 231; group B: n = 194). Both cohorts were comparable regarding demographic and oncological parameters. Watertight anastomosis was present in 84.8% in group A and in 82.5% in group B, respectively. AUR within 4 weeks after RARP occurred in 2.2% (n = 3) in A and 9.4% (n = 15) in B (p = 0.001). AUR within 72 h after catheter removal occurred in group A: 1% (n = 2) and in group B: 6.3% (n = 10) (p = 0.005). Symptomatic urinary tract infections occurred in 8.2% (n = 16) in group A and in 6.9% (n = 11) in group B. There were no differences in the rate of secondary anastomosis dehiscence. Age, BMI, prostate size, surgeon, or intraoperative bladder neck reconstruction were not correlated to the occurrence of AUR or UTI.

The removal of indwelling catheter on day 4 after a RARP with a running barbed suture shows similar anastomosis leakage rates as on the 7th postoperative day. However, AUR rates are higher for early removal. Patients scheduled for early removal should be carefully informed about the increased risk for AUR. Catheter indwelling time does not represent a risk factor for UTI.

World journal of urology. 2019 Nov 14 [Epub ahead of print]

Sebastian Lenart, Ingrid Berger, Judith Böhler, Reinhard Böhm, Georg Gutjahr, Nikolaus Hartig, Daniel Koller, Michael Lamche, Stephan Madersbacher, Michael Stolzlechner, Claudia Elisa Wayand, Anton Ponholzer

Department of Urology and Andrology, St. John of God Hospital Vienna, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Wien, Johannes-von-Gott Platz 1, 1020, Vienna, Austria. ., Department of Urology and Andrology, St. John of God Hospital Vienna, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Wien, Johannes-von-Gott Platz 1, 1020, Vienna, Austria., Department of Mathematics, Center of Research in Analytics and Technologies for Education, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kollam, India., Department of Surgery, St. John of God Hospital Vienna, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Wien, Vienna, Austria., Department of Urology, Kaiser Franz Josef I Spital, Vienna, Austria.