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ANALGESIA

Unilateral Anesthesia Does Not Affect the Incidence of Urinary Retention After Low-Dose Spinal Anesthesia for Knee Surgery

Wolfgang G. Voelckel, MD^*, Lukas Kirchmair, MD^*, Peter Rehder, MD, Ivo Garoscio, MD, Dietmar Krappinger, MD^||, and Thomas J. Luger, MD^*

From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University, Innsbruck; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AUVA Trauma Center, Salzburg; Department of Neuro-Urology, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Klinikum Amberg, Germany; and ||Department for Trauma Surgery and Sports Medicine, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.

Address correspondence to Wolfgang Voelckel, MSc, DEAA, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, AUVA Trauma Center Salzburg, Dr. Franz-Rehrl-Platz 5, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Address e-mail to wolfgang.voelckel{at}auvi.at.

Abstract

We evaluated whether unilateral low-dose spinal anesthesia may reduce the likelihood of postoperative urinary retention. Forty patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy randomly received bilateral (n = 20) or unilateral (n = 20) spinal anesthesia with 6-mg hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5%. The incidence of urinary retention (>500 mL) assessed with an ultrasound device (Bladderscan) and subsequent temporary catherization was 7/20 patients in the bilateral versus 6/20 in the unilateral group (not significant). We concluded that unilateral low-dose spinal anesthesia does not further decrease the likelihood of urinary retention. Our results demonstrate the value and necessity of monitoring bladder volume postoperatively.