The following is a summary of “Timing of Urinary Catheter Removal After Urethroplasty: A Systematic Review,” published in the JUNE 2023 issue of Urology by Mehrnoush, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to conduct a systematic review and synthesis of existing evidence to evaluate the outcomes of different urinary catheter removal timing (early vs late) after urethroplasty.
A comprehensive search of multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, was conducted from inception to August 7, 2022. The screening process involved an initial assessment of titles and abstracts, followed by a full paper review for inclusion in the final analysis. Comparative studies that examined the association between urethral catheterization duration and the frequency of extravasation and recurrence rate in patients who underwent urethroplasty were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed case reports, case series, letters to editors, and non-English studies. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Out of the 439 records identified in the literature databases, 5 studies involving 634 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Across all 5 studies, there was no statistically significant difference in the extravasation rate between the early and late catheter removal groups. Among the 3 studies that reported recurrence rates, the recurrence rate was low, and no statistically significant difference was observed between the early and late catheter removal groups. Wound and urinary tract infections were among the most common complications, with a higher rate observed in patients with late catheter removal.
Based on the available evidence, early catheter removal following urethroplasty does not appear to increase the rate of extravasation or recurrence during long-term follow-up. The findings from the study provided a foundation for future research with larger sample sizes to investigate the topic further.
Source: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(23)00226-1/fulltext