Sudden Decompression of the Chronically Distended Urinary Bladder

The idea that one must not empty the urinary bladder abruptly when it has been the seat of chronic retention of the as a result of prostatic obstruction has been accepted for many years. With the development of surgery of the prostate gland, this idea has assumed new significance, so that the majority of surgeons have adopted measures designed to empty the chronically distended bladder slowly in order to avert such serious or fatal consequences as are said to follow abrupt withdrawal of the urine. However, there is in the minds of many a suspicion that the sudden withdrawal of the is per se quite harmless. A careful survey of the literature reveals that the subject has never been studied exhaustively, nor has any conclusive evidence been presented to show that the abrupt withdrawal of residual urine is of itself a dangerous act. True, deaths have followed such