High Risk of Postoperative Urinary Retention in 1-Year-Old Cleft Palate Patients: An Observational Study

PurposeEstimate the frequency of urinary catheterizations in a high-risk population of children.DesignIt was a descriptive, observational study.MethodsIncidence of postoperative urinary retention was recorded for one-year-old cleft palate surgery patients admitted to the postanaesthesia care unit or pediatric intensive care unit at Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.FindingForty-five out of 70 patients (64%) were catheterized once or several times during the perioperative period. Furthermore, a total of 40 out of 54 patients (74%) had a bladder volume 60 mL or more measured by ultrasound scanner; 10 of these measured volumes exceeded twice the bladder capacity.ConclusionsPostoperative urinary retention was discovered in 64% of patients; some of them were catheterized more than once during the perioperative period. Based on these data and the departmental procedure for postoperative care of these patients, the results indicated the need for an indwelling catheter.