Uroselective Alpha-1-Antagonist to Reduce the Incidence and Duration of Postoperative Urinary Retention Following Spine Surgery

The purpose of this research is to see if the use of tamsulosin can decrease both the incidence and duration of urinary retention, as well as hospital length of stay following spine surgery.

Postoperative urinary retention is a frequent complication of spinal surgeries and impacts a large portion of this population which results in increased morbidity as a result of increased number of catheterizations, urinary tract infections and prolonged hospital stays. With the addition of Tamsulosin, we would anticipate a reduction in the incidence and duration of postoperative urinary retention and therefore a reduction in morbidity related to treatment of urinary retention as well as shortened hospital stays.