Surgery Recovery What to Do If You Can't Urinate After Surgery By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN linkedin Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine. Learn about our editorial process Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD on July 03, 2020 linkedin Scott Sundick, MD, is a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon. He currently practices in Westfield, New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Scott Sundick, MD on July 03, 2020 Print The complete inability to urinate after surgery, a condition called urinary retention, is considered an emergency if you are no longer in the hospital and you are unable to produce any urine. It can occur for a variety of reasons. Verywell / Emily Roberts It is important that you seek treatment immediately, from either your surgeon or an emergency medical facility. If the bladder is not emptied serious damage can be done to both your bladder and kidneys. Symptoms Signs include: A noticeably full bladder; may be visible as abdominal swelling in thin peopleDiscomfort or pain due to a full bladderInability to urinate despite feeling the urgeLower abdominal pain, particularly below the belly button A really full bladder can be quite painful, but most people aren't familiar with what bladder pain feels like and may not be able to identify the cause of the pain, just that it is present. Aside from the pain, when the bladder can hold no more urine, the fluid backs up into the kidneys, which can cause damage if the pressure is not relieved quickly. In extreme cases, the bladder can actually rupture when it can hold no more urine. If you notice you are unable to urinate or begin to experience pain because you are unable to urinate enough to empty your bladder and urine is building up, it is time to seek treatment. Difficulty Emptying Bladder A less serious form of urinary retention that can happen after surgery can cause a delay in getting started urinating, or it may feel as though the bladder is still full after a successful trip to the bathroom. This is not an emergency, but it should be discussed with your surgeon, especially if it persists. Some patients are able to urinate, but they feel that their bladder isn't emptying completely. This should also be reported as it can lead to urinary tract infections. A change in medications can often correct bladder problems. Causes The inability to urinate after surgery is usually caused by a condition called neurogenic bladder, a type of bladder dysfunction that interferes with the nerve impulses from the brain to the bladder. The bladder does not receive the signal to empty and will continue to fill despite any pain or trauma that may occur. For patients with no history of difficulty urinating prior to surgery, the problem is often attributed to a combination of risk factors that include abdominal surgery, general anesthesia, pain medications, and fluids given by IV during surgery. In rare circumstances, a surgical error, such as accidentally severing one of the tubes that transport urine, may be causing the problem. This complication is very rare and is typically detected prior to leaving the hospital. Less Common Causes An inability to urinate after surgery may rarely stem from these causes: Prostate enlargement causing chronic urinary retention because it interferes with the movement of urine from the bladder to the outside of the body“Droopy” bladder in which they bladder may slip lower into the abdomen (most commonly in women who have had multiple children) creating problems with the movement of urine from the bladder to the outside of the bodyAnti-anxiety medicationsNerve damage to the bladder due to surgery, trauma, childbirthAntidepressant medicationsAnticholinergic medications (commonly used for overactive bladder)Antihistamine medicationsSpinal cord injuries and defectsBlockage or compression of the urethra, the tube that removes urine from the bladder, by causes such as bladder stones or constipation. Treatment The treatment for a full bladder that does not respond to repeated attempts to urinate is a urinary catheter, a sterile tube that is inserted through the urethra into the bladder in order to drain the urine out of the bladder. The problem can be acute, a short-term but serious complication, or it can be chronic, an ongoing problem that persists for weeks, months. or longer. Patients who experience urinary retention may be instructed in methods to self-catheterize by medical staff, so the bladder can be drained as needed should the problem occur repeatedly. The inability to urinate will typically pass within two weeks of surgery. If it persists beyond the recovery phase, your surgeon or family physician may order tests to determine what is causing the problem and the best course of treatment. A Word From Verywell A dramatic reduction in the amount of urine output should be cause for worry, especially if there is no clear reason. Urine should be produced numerous times a day, and with good hydration, some individuals urinate as frequently as hourly. A decrease can mean dehydration or some type of bladder problem. Seek medical attention if you have no or low urine output, with or without bladder pain. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Merck Manual Professional Version. Urinary Retention. Updated July 2018. Palthe S, Dijkstra GA, Steffens MG. A case of spontaneous urinary bladder rupture secondary to urinary retention due to an urethral stricture. Urol Case Rep. 2018;17:85–87. doi:10.1016/j.eucr.2018.01.009 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Urinary Retention. Updated August 2014. Additional Reading Urinary Retention. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.