Prevalence and outcome of urinary retention after laparoscopic surgery for severe endometriosis--does histology provide answers?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Urinary retention after radical laparoscopic surgery for severe endometriosis is a clinically relevant complication. We hypothesized a relationship between the amount of resected nerves and the occurrence of urinary retention.

METHODS

We evaluated, retrospectively, a cohort of 221 patients. The expression of nerves in the resected specimens was investigated in patients with urinary retention and matched controls using standardized immunohistochemistry techniques.

RESULTS

The prevalence of urinary retention was 4.6% (n = 10). Importantly, there was no difference between cases and controls regarding the quantity of nerves in the resected specimens. The cumulative probability of 50% to overcome urinary retention was reached after 5.6 months. Age was the main risk factor for persistent retention (40.3 years with vs. 31.6 years without, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In older endometriosis patients, surgical radicality should be balanced against preservation of organ function. There is a fairly good chance to recover, even after 6 months, which is important for patient counseling.