Effect of Kegel Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises on Postoperative Urinary Retention, Pain, and Comfort After Elective Single-Level Lumbar Microdiscectomy

BACKGROUND: Postoperative urinary retention is the inability to urinate spontaneously after surgery and may occur after lumbar spine surgical procedures, potentially leading to complications. This study aimed to determine the effects of postoperative Kegel pelvic floor muscle exercises on urinary retention, pain, and comfort levels in patients undergoing elective single-level lumbar microdiscectomy. METHODS: This was a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients undergoing elective single-level lumbar microdiscectomy were selected from the neurosurgery clinic of a training and research hospital in Turkey. The intervention group (n=29) performed Kegel pelvic floor muscle exercises during the postoperative period, while the control group (n=29) received routine postoperative care. Data were collected before surgery and within the first 8 hours after surgery. RESULTS: The incidence of urinary retention was higher in the control group (24.1%) than in the intervention group (3.8%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.503). Surgical incisional pain scores were lower in the intervention group at the second postoperative hour, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.111). Surgical incision pain scores were statistically significantly different at the sixth postoperative hour (P=0.035). Comfort scores were significantly higher in the intervention group at the eighth hour (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Postoperative urinary retention did not differ significantly between the groups. In patients undergoing elective single-level lumbar microdiscectomy, Kegel pelvic floor muscle exercises were associated with reduced incision pain at the sixth postoperative hour, while higher comfort scores were observed at the eighth postoperative hour.