title: Unilateral anesthesia does not affect the incidence of urinary retention after low-dose spinal anesthesia for knee surgery.
abstract: We evaluated whether unilateral low-dose spinal anesthesia may reduce the likelihood of postoperative urinary retention. Forty patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy randomly received bilateral (n = 20) or unilateral (n = 20) spinal anesthesia with 6-mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5%. The incidence of urinary retention (>500 mL) assessed with an ultrasound device (Bladderscan) and subsequent temporary catherization was 7/20 patients in the bilateral versus 6/20 in the unilateral group (not significant). We concluded that unilateral low-dose spinal anesthesia does not further decrease the likelihood of urinary retention. Our results demonstrate the value and necessity of monitoring bladder volume postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. wolfgang.voelckel@auvi.at
authors.forename: Wolfgang G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Voelckel
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirchmair
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rehder
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garoscio
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krappinger
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Luger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*