Transvaginal sonography in the treatment of acute urinary retention due to intravesical blood clots

After a major procedure in which surgical damage to the lower urinary tract or postoperative bladder bleeding is a possibility, bladder drainage with an indwelling catheter should be instituted despite the small risk of bladder infection. Postoperative bladder care in such cases requires ensuring that the bladder is adequately drained and does not become overdistended. Over-distension of a traumatized bladder may result in serious long-term voiding dysfunction and can undo the results of a technically well-executed surgical procedure. We describe a case of acute urinary retention due to intravesical blood clots after placement of a double-J ureteral catheter. The clots were efficiently and safely evacuated with the aid of transvaginal sonography (TVS).