Preventive effect of tamsulosin on postoperative urinary retention

To investigate the prophylactic effect of Tamsulosin, a super-selective alpha-
1a adrenergic blocking agent, on the development of urinary retention in men undergoing
elective inguinal herniorrhaphy.
Materials and Methods: From May 2010 through November 2011, a total of 80 males
who underwent elective inguinal herniorrhaphy in a university hospital were included
in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In group one
(control), the patients were given two doses of placebo orally, 6 hours before surgery
and 6 to 12 hours after surgery. Patients in group two were given 0.4 mg of Tamsulosin
orally in the same manner as the placebo. All patients were closely followed for 24 hours
post-operatively, and any voiding difficulties or urinary retention was recorded.
Results: There were 40 patients in group one (control group) and 40 patients in group
two (Tamsulosin group). The patients’ mean age was 64 years. In group one, 6 patients
and in group two, 1 patient required catheterization. Thus, 15% of patients in group
I and 2.5% of patients in group II had urinary retention. The difference in the requirement
for catheterization was statistically significant (p=0.04). The technique of herniorrhaphy,
the side of the body in which the hernia was located, the type of anesthesia,
the duration of the surgery, and the severity of pre-operative urinary symptoms had
no significant effect on the incidence of urinary retention.
Conclusions: The use of perioperative Tamsulosin represents an effective strategy to
reduce the risk of post-operative urinary retention following inguinal herniorrhaphy