Prophylaxis and treatment of bladder dysfunction after Wertheim-Meigs operation: the positive effect of early postoperative detrusor stimulation using the cholinergic drug betanecholchloride

The efficacy of betanecholchloride in the postoperative treatment of bladder dysfunction is controversial. We therefore performed a comparative study on the effect of this therapy for the prophylaxis of detrusor hypotonia after Wertheim-Meigs operation. Forty patients with cervical cancer FIGO stage Ib/IIa were divided into two study groups. The control group (24 patients) only received betanecholchloride if the residual urine persisted above 50 ml after the 10th postoperative day. The study group (16 patients) received 50 mg betanecholchloride three times a day from the 3rd postoperative day onward. In this group postoperative catheter treatment, and consequently hospital stay, were significantly shorter (9.6 versus 13.3 days and 15.5 versus 18.6 days). The residual urinary volume normalized faster (8.0 versus 13.0 days) and the rate of cystitis was lower (18.8 versus 25%). According to our study, a prophylactic application of the parasympathomimetic drug betanecholchloride diminishes postoperative complications associated with bladder dysfunction after Wertheim-Meigs operation. EDITORIAL COMMENT: Bladder dysfunction plays an important role after radical hysterectomy. The authors present data indicating improved and quicker resumption of bladder function following radical hysterectomy with early administration of betanecholchloride, versus use of the medication only when indicated by elevated postvoid residual. Although the study is not a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial, the patients who received beta-necholchloride from postoperative day 3 had significantly decreased postoperative catheter treatment, earlier resumption of adequate bladder emptying defined as a postvoid residual of less than 50 ml, decreased incidence of bladder infection and shorter hospital stay. This information is encouraging for this subset of patients, who characteristically are at high risk for long-term bladder dysfunction. Further studies in this area are needed to clarify therapeutic options to improve patients’ quality of life, specifically in regard to bladder function following treatment of their cancer.