Evaluation of early removal of urinary catheter after radical surgery for cervical cancer treatment

Abstract

Currently, the treatment of cervical cancer in early stages is performed with a radical surgery called Radical Hysterectomy with Pelvic Lymphadenectomy. This surgery, when indicated correctly, in early stages of this disease, has a cure rate of approximately 90% at 5 years, compared to the same Pelvic Radiotherapy. However, it is known that most patients with early stage cervical cancer are young (average age 45) and treating these patients with radiotherapy would have a loss of hormonal function by damage to the ovaries and damage in sexual function by radiotherapy effects in the vagina. Furthermore, if the patient has a pelvic recurrence, the option of radiotherapy treatment could not be offered. Due to the factors listed above, nowadays, in young patients with good clinical conditions and tumors in early stages, radical surgery is a good option. In this radical surgery there is a need for removal of the parametrium, and different degrees of pelvic denervation may occur causing damage of urinary function. Currently, there is no consensus about the correct moment of catheter removal and evaluation of urinary function using the residual urine test. While in some services the urinary catheter is removed on day 1 postoperatively, in others it is removed on the 14th day postoperatively. For these reasons, this study aims to compare the early catheter removal (day 1 postoperatively) versus standard in our service (7 days postoperatively) withdrawal. If this study detect that the patients may remove the urinary catheter on day 1 postoperatively, much less cost, discomfort, pain and comorbidities associated with the use of indwelling catheter for prolonged periods occur, such as urinary tract infection, use of antibiotics and even hospitalization for this reason. (AU)