title: Early catheter removal following transurethral prostatectomy--impact on length of hospital stay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether early catheter removal following transurethral prostatectomy (TURP) is safe and whether it has any effect on the length of hospital stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following transurethral prostatectomy 59 patients were randomized into one of two groups: those whose catheter was removed on day 1 after surgery and those whose catheter was removed on day 2. The incidence of complications and the duration of post-operative hospital stay were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Catheter removal on day 1 led to a significantly shorter post-operative hospital stay (2.3 days versus 3.3 days) and did not incur a higher incidence of complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Removal of the catheter on the first day following TURP is safe in selected patients and leads to a shorter post-operative hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: MacDermott
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Whelan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000601:surgery*