Urinary Catheter Utility in Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Risk Benefit Analysis of Post-Operative Urinary Tract Complications

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for 1 million nosocomial infections annually and 75% of all hospital-acquired UTIs. A risk factor for CAUTI is prolonged urinary catheterization (UC); therefore, transitory UC during laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), a common practice justified to avoid iatrogenic bladder injury, is believed to be safe. However, data on the incidence of post-operative UC-related complications, including CAUTI, following LA or their avoidance are limited. <b><i>Hypothesis:</i></b> Patients who underwent UC for LA developed more post-operative UTIs than patients without UC (noUC), without effect on the incidence of bladder injury. <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> Retrospective analysis of patients ≥21 years who underwent LA (2016-2023) at an academic hospital. The primary outcome was post-operative UTI in UC versus noUC patients, defined as symptoms or urinalysis findings compatible with UTI within 21 days from LA. Secondary outcomes included bladder injury, catheter-related complications, time until UTI diagnosis, and antibiotic exposure. Statistics: Mann-Whitney U and Fisher exact tests; p < 0.05. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Among 981 LA, there were 678 UC and 303 noUC. A majority was male (56%) and young [38 years, inter-quartile range (IQR) 28-50]. Duration of catheterization was 102 min (IQR 85-123), whereas duration of the procedure was 58 min (IQR 44-80). There were more catheter-related complications in the UC versus noUC group (10 [1.5%] vs. 0; p = 0.04). The incidence of UTI was 0.5%, with five cases (0.7%) after UC and zero for noUC (p = 0.34). UTIs were detected at 11 post-operative days (IQR 6-17) and treated with antibiotic agents for 5 days (IQR 5-13). Four UC patients had urinary retention (two required re-catheterization and discharge with an indwelling catheter). One UC urinary "retainer" developed a post-operative UTI and required hospital re-admission. There was no urinary retention in the noUC group. There were no bladder injuries. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The incidence of UTI was low following LA; bladder injuries were non-existent. UC-related complications were greater among UC patients, but there was neither urinary retention and post-operative catheterization nor bladder injury in the noUC group; we suggest the omission of UC for LA.