Postoperative patient comfort in suprapubic drainage versus transurethral catheterization following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the type of urinary diversion (suprapubic vs. transurethral catheterization) on patients' postoperative pain after radical prostatectomy, development of bacteriuria and long-term functional results.

Methods: A randomized, prospective clinical trial was performed including 160 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy after randomization into two groups: intraoperatively, a transurethral catheter (control group) or an additional suprapubic tube (with removal of the transurethral catheter in the morning of postoperative day 1; intervention group) was placed.