The safety of overnight hospitalization for transurethral prostatectomy: a prospective study of 200 patients.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine the appropriateness, safety and cost-effectiveness of catheter removal and hospital discharge 1 day after transurethral prostatectomy.


METHODS
A prospective study of 200 patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy during a 23-month period was done. On the morning of postoperative day 1 catheters were removed from 156 patients (78%) who had normal vital signs, adequate urine output, absence of clots and acceptable character of the catheter effluent.


RESULTS
Among the 156 patients whose catheters were removed 4 of 5 went home on postoperative day 1. Two of these patients were rehospitalized within 30 days, as were 2 others whose catheters were removed later. Overall length of patient stay was 1.6 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Overnight hospitalization after transurethral prostatectomy is an appropriate, safe and cost-effective pathway of patient care that is readily applicable to any urology practice.
Cherrie
R J
RJ
Department of Urology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, California 94611-5693, USA.
Young
R A
RA
Cattolica
E V
EV
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy; D013997:Time Factors