The safety of overnight hospitalization for transurethral prostatectomy: a prospective study of 200 patients.

PURPOSE Our goal was to determine the appropriateness, safety and cost-effectiveness of catheter removal and hospital discharge 1 day after transurethral prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study of 200 patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy during a 23-month period was done. On the morning of postoperative day 1 catheters were removed from 156 patients (78%) who had normal vital signs, adequate urine output, absence of clots and acceptable character of the catheter effluent. RESULTS Among the 156 patients whose catheters were removed 4 of 5 went home on postoperative day 1. Two of these patients were rehospitalized within 30 days, as were 2 others whose catheters were removed later. Overall length of patient stay was 1.6 days. CONCLUSIONS Overnight hospitalization after transurethral prostatectomy is an appropriate, safe and cost-effective pathway of patient care that is readily applicable to any urology practice.