title: A prospective randomized trial to compare immediate and 24-hour delayed catheter removal following total abdominal hysterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether early or immediate removal of a 12F in-dwelling Foley catheter after total abdominal hysterectomy affects the level of subjective pain assessment postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy women underwent total abdominal hysterectomies for various benign gynecological diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women were randomized to have the urinary catheter removed in the operating room after the surgical procedure or to have it removed on postoperative day 1.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was patients' pain assessment and the secondary outcomes were rate of re-catheterization and symptomatic urinary tract infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in the pain assessment between the two groups. A significantly higher number of urinary retention episodes requiring re-catheterization were found in the immediate removal group compared with the delayed removal group (20 vs. 0%; p= 0.011). The incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infection did not differ between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are pros and cons regarding the policy of one-day in-dwelling catheterization compared to immediate catheter removal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. jchai@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Ting-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Pun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019233:Retreatment; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*