The Effect of Kegel Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises on Urinary Retention, Pain, and Comfort Levels in Patients After Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Postoperative urinary retention is the inability to urinate despite having a full bladder after surgery. It is a relatively common complication of both outpatient and inpatient procedures. Most cases are transient and are managed by temporarily emptying the bladder with bladder catheterization.

Studies in the literature report that transient postoperative urinary retention is common after cervical and lumbar spine surgery procedures. This situation is of great importance in terms of healthcare services, as it can increase both the length of hospital stay and the cost.

Kegel pelvic floor muscle exercises involve the repeated contraction and relaxation of the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor. With these exercises, pelvic floor blood circulation can be increased, pelvic floor muscle tension can be increased, and the contraction of the relaxed bladder can be stimulated indirectly by repeated contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, and urine output can be achieved. Therefore, we think that these exercises, which are safe, cost-effective exercises that can be easily applied by healthcare personnel, and patient comfort among nursing practices to improve perioperative results and functional status, will have an effect in preventing urinary retention.

There are no experimental studies in the literature evaluating the effect of Kegel exercises applied after lumbar disc herniation surgery on urinary retention. Therefore, this study was planned to be conducted in patients who will undergo lumbar disc herniation surgery.

This study was planned as a single-center prospective randomized controlled experimental study. After obtaining verbal and written consent from the patients before surgery, the study will be conducted with various data collection forms.