Optimal Duration of Urinary Catheterization After Total Mesorectal Excision
This study is being conducted to determine the length of time a urinary catheter is needed to drain urine from the bladder after colorectal surgery. Urinary retention is a well known complication after pelvic colorectal surgery, and current practice is to continue urinary catheterization for 3- days following pelvic colorectal surgery in an effort to avoid this complication. However, prolonged urinary catheterization is associated with increased risk of urinary tract infections as well as longer hospital stays. The investigators hypothesize that postoperative urinary catheters may be safely removed on postoperative day 1 without increased urinary retention rates. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a shorter duration of urinary catheterization (1 day) is non-inferior when compared to standard duration (3 days) in regards to postoperative urinary retention. The investigators plan to perform a prospective, randomized, non-inferiority trial comparing the urinary catheter duration of 1 day and 3 days with the primary endpoint of postoperative urinary retention. Secondary endpoints are urinary tract infection and length of hospital stay. The participants will be randomly assigned to the control group (catheter removal on postoperative day 3) or the experimental group (catheter removal on postoperative day 1).
• Elective procedures involving total mesorectal excision, including low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer as well as proctectomy for inflammatory bowel disease.
• All approaches (open, laparoscopic and robotic) will be included, as the approaches not differ in the total mesorectal excision technique.
• Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments will be included.
• Age ≥ 18 years.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I-III.
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent.