Indwelling foley catheter for Urinary Retention

Urinary retention is a known complication following surgical procedures, with a theoretical increased risk in patients receiving neuraxial anesthesia due to a decreased ability to sense bladder distension. Urinary retention is associated with adverse events including bladder atony, increased post void residuals, and postoperative urinary tract infection. Treatment of urinary retention involves intermittent or indwelling urinary catheter placement, both of which are associated with an increased prevalence of postoperative urinary tract infection. There currently is no consensus whether the use of a urinary catheter in elective joint arthroplasty with neuraxial anesthesia decreases the risk of urinary retention. The prevalence of retention reported in the literature varies widely with reports anywhere from 0% to 75% in patients with early removal of a catheter or after procedures performed without a catheter. The goal of this study is to determine whether the routine use of an indwelling urinary catheter decreases the rate of postoperative urinary retention in patients undergoing elective joint arthroplasty.