Introduction- The predictive factors for development of post-operative nausea and urinary retention in mammary implant surgery has not been clearly established. Women who underwent mammary reconstruction with implants were evaluated to establish a correlation between placement and the development of post-operative nausea and/or urinary retention.

Methods- Retrospective chart review of 52 women who underwent mammary implant placement during the year from January 2000-2001 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota). Data collection included operative details and the incidence of significant post-operative nausea and/or urinary retention.

Results- 52 women had 91 implants placed for breast reconstruction. 43 patients had 79 implants placed in the submuscular location for either primary (n=28) or secondary (n=15) indications. No significant differences in intraoperative medications were noted. Nausea occurred in 28 of 52 (54%) patients. Of these, 26 (92%) had bilateral primary implants placed submuscularly. Furthermore, urinary retention occurred in 23 of 52 (44%) women. All of these had bilateral submuscular implants placed.

Conclusion- We found that the majority of patients that underwent primary submuscular mammary implant placement required increased need for antiemetic and urinary catheterization, and often, prolonged hospitalization. We conclude that women undergoing primary mammary submuscular implant placement are at increased risk for these postoperative sequelae.