Trial of Two Techniques to Assess Postoperative Voiding Function

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition that affects up to 35% of women. Many surgical procedures have been developed to treat SUI, and midurethral slings have gradually become the first line treatment. Voiding dysfunction, or inability for a patient to empty her bladder, immediately after surgery is common. A bladder test is often performed in the recovery area to see if the patient is able to empty her bladder. This typically consists of filling the bladder with 300 mL of saline through the foley catheter. The catheter is then removed and the patient is asked to void. The investigators then measure the voided volume and the residual left inside the bladder to determine if she is able to empty her bladder sufficiently or not. A successful voiding trial is defined as voiding 2/3 of the total volume in the bladder and having less than 100 mL left inside the bladder as residual. Our goal of this study was to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of a retrograde postoperative voiding trial that is initiated in the operating room. Our hypothesis was that a retrograde postoperative voiding trial initiated in the operating room would be as effective as a standard retrograde postoperative voiding trial to predict postoperative voiding dysfunction while allowing for patients to spend less time in the recovery unit.