Effect of Tizanidine on Postoperative Urinary Retention After Sacrospinous Suspension

November 10, 2025 updated by: Claudia Paya Ten, Endeavor Health

Effect of Pre-operative Tizanidine on Postoperative Urinary Retention After Sacrospinous Vaginal Vault Suspension: a Pilot Study

Postoperative urinary retention has been defined as the inability to void despite having fluid in the bladder during the postoperative period. Urinary retention after pelvic reconstructive surgery requiring indwelling catheter or self-catheterization usage occurs in approximately 30-60% of patients postoperatively. Our prior retrospective chart review reviewing postoperative urinary retention rates after pelvic reconstructive surgery demonstrated postoperative urinary retention after a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension to be approximately 78.9%. Many women consider being discharged home with a Foley catheter to be a surgical complication and describe catheter use as the worst aspect of their surgery. Indwelling catheters are the leading cause of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs), are often a source of embarrassment and inconvenience for patients, and often require additional office visits and healthcare utilization. Tizanidine is a muscle relaxant which can work to alleviate this spasm and, theoretically, prevent postoperative urinary retention. Tizanidine also works as an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker which can increase smooth muscle relaxation around the urethra specifically and, theoretically, improve urine flow. Postoperative urinary retention is extremely common after pelvic reconstructive surgery involving a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension and is extremely bothersome to patients. Tizanidine is a low-risk, well tolerated, cost-effective medication. No study to date has evaluated preoperative administration of tizanidine for postoperative urinary retention.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Postoperative urinary retention has been defined as the inability to void despite having fluid in the bladder during the postoperative period. Urinary retention after pelvic reconstructive surgery requiring indwelling catheter or self-catheterization usage occurs in approximately 30-60% of patients postoperatively. Our prior retrospective chart review reviewing postoperative urinary retention rates after pelvic reconstructive surgery demonstrated postoperative urinary retention after a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension to be approximately 78.9%.

Each patient after surgery undergoes a "voiding trial" where their voided volume is compared to their post-void residual volume. "Passing" a voiding trial has traditionally been defined as voiding a greater volume than the post-void residual volume. If the patient does not "pass" the voiding trial, the patient is characterized as having postoperative urinary retention and is discharged home with an indwelling catheter to prevent detrusor injury from bladder over-distention, pain and urinary tract infection.

Many women consider being discharged home with a Foley catheter to be a surgical complication and describe catheter use as the worst aspect of their surgery. Indwelling catheters are the leading cause of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs), are often a source of embarrassment and inconvenience for patients, and often require additional office visits and healthcare utilization.

The leading hypotheses regarding the incidence of postoperative urinary retention after sacrospinous ligament suspension includes postoperative pain and pelvic floor muscle spasm leading to retention. The sacrospinous suspension includes a suture that is passed through the sacrospinous ligament and, therefore, through the coccygeus muscle with irritation of the pudendal nerve. The pelvic floor is a synergistic team of muscles that work together to support the pelvic organs and spasm of the coccygeus muscle, rather than an isolated muscle, can cause spasm of the entirety of the pelvic floor leading to retention. Tizanidine is a muscle relaxant which can work to alleviate this spasm and, theoretically, prevent postoperative urinary retention. Tizanidine also works as an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker which can increase smooth muscle relaxation around the urethra specifically and, theoretically, improve urine flow.

Tizanidine is also frequently given for postoperative pain after sacrospinous ligament suspension and may act as an adjunct to a non-narcotic pain regimen to improve postoperative pain while reducing narcotic use after surgery. Postoperative buttock and posterior thigh pain are common symptoms after SSLF, with immediate pain reported in 6-84% of patients and persistent pain at 6 weeks occurring in 1-15%. Untreated acute postoperative pain has been shown to lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Pain is the most common reason for a postoperative unplanned hospital admission and poor postoperative pain control can lead to decreased ambulation, increased incidence of thromboembolism, and decreased inspiratory effort leading to postoperative pneumonia, therefore postoperative pain control is critical. In a country with rising narcotic-use and dependence, it is critical that we continue to explore non-narcotic alternatives for patients after surgery.

Postoperative urinary retention is extremely common after pelvic reconstructive surgery involving a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension and is extremely bothersome to patients. Tizanidine is a low-risk, well tolerated, cost-effective medication. No study to date has evaluated preoperative administration of tizanidine for postoperative urinary retention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Skokie, Illinois, United States, 60076
        • NorthShore University Health System

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Sacrospinous ligament suspension (CPT 57282)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age <18
  • Planned combined cases with colorectal surgery, general surgery, or gynecology-oncology
  • Known history of urinary retention
  • Known contraindication to tizanidine

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Tizanidine
Tizanidine 2mg will be given preoperatively prior to scheduled sacrospinous ligament suspension
Drug: Tizanidine
Tizanidine 2mg will be given preoperatively prior to scheduled sacrospinous ligament suspension
Other Names:
  • Zanaflex

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Postoperative Urinary Retention
Time Frame: Immediate postoperative evaluation (1 day)
Determine the postoperative urinary retention rates in patients undergoing a sacrospinous ligament suspension after postoperative administration of tizanidine. This will be determined immediately postoperative in the postoperative recovery room based on whether patients pass or fail their voiding trial described above. The result will be documented in electronic medical records and obtained from chart review.
Immediate postoperative evaluation (1 day)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Average Postoperative Pain Score
Time Frame: Immediate postoperative evaluation (1 day)
Determine average postoperative pain score after postoperative administration of tizanidine utilizing a 10-point Likert scale for pain (0 = no pain, 10 = extreme pain). This data will be obtained by electronic data pull and chart review.
Immediate postoperative evaluation (1 day)
Number of Participants With Postoperative Unanticipated Healthcare Encounters
Time Frame: 30 days
Determine the number of participants with postoperative unanticipated healthcare encounters, including readmissions, office visits or emergency department visit within 30 days after surgery. This data will be collected via chart review.
30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Endeavor Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Claudia Paya Ten, MD, Endeavor Health

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 17, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 15, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

October 24, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 6, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 6, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

February 14, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 10, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • EH23-402

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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