Post-operative Urinary Retention (POUR) Following Thoracic Surgery

Inability to urinate a common complication that happens to many patients after a surgery, especially in men over 60 years of age who undergo surgery on their chest. Urinary retention is uncomfortable, increases anxiety, increases hospital length of stay, and leads to more procedures such as putting in a bladder catheter (Foley). This is uncomfortable, and can lead to bleeding, infection, damage to the urethra and/or bladder and bladder spasm. The goal of this study is to attempt to prevent inability to urinate by giving patients a medication called Flomax (Tamusolin) every day beginning a week before surgery. That medication relaxes the prostate. It's approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve urinary flow in those with enlarged prostates. It is also commonly used in patients with bladder problems due to inability to urinate who have required a Foley.

Post-operative urinary retention (POUR) in older men who undergo a thoracic surgical procedure occurs in a significant proportion of patients (25% at Hackensack University Medical Center in men \>60) and is a significant management problem. Typically, this complication needs to be treated with placement of a bladder catheter (foley). In addition to the discomfort of placing a foley in an awake patient, these patients are at a significantly increased risk of a catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), potential genito-urinary injury during the placement, and bladder muscle damage due to distention. The goal of this study is to investigate whether the use of Tamusolin could lower the high incidence of POUR in older men undergoing a thoracic surgical procedure. The investigators hypothesize that pre-operative administration of Tamusolin (Flomax, 0.4mg/day x 1 week), with ongoing use post-operatively until normal voiding resumes, will result in a significant decrease in the incidence of POUR after a thoracic surgical procedure.