A study published in Spine examines how intraoperative medications affect postoperative urinary retention for patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion.
The researchers examined 205 patients for the study who underwent primary single level, minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. The patients underwent surgery from 2009 to 2013 and examined for postoperative urinary retention, defined as bladder scans of 300 mL or higher. The researchers found:
1. Seventeen percent of the patients experienced POUR.
2. The patients who received phenylephrine and neostigmine were associated with POUR.
3. There was an association between the higher dose of neostigmine and POUR, according to the parametric analysis.
4. There was an association between the increased neostigmine and phenylephrine dose and POUR, according to the nonparametric analysis.
5. The researchers concluded, "This finding suggests that there may be modifiable anesthetic risk factors to prevent the development of POUR in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery." The study authors suggest future studies addressing the findings could lead to lower healthcare costs and improved care.