Urinary retention is the accumulation of the urine within the bladder because of the inability to urinate. A person with urinary retention usually experiences urgency, i.e., lower abdominal cramping or discomfort and inability to void. Urinary retention frequently occurs in patients who undergo any surgical procedure in which general or spinal anesthesia is used. It is believed that urinary retention occurs as a result of catecholamine stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the smooth muscle of the bladder neck and urethra, which in turn increases bladder outlet tone and urethral resistance. This condition is more likely to happen to older men, especially those with previous history of symptomatic prostatic obstruction or urethral trauma. The incidence of urinary retention is also increased with excessive intravenous fluid administration. Management of urinary retention involves intravenous fluid restriction to less than 250 ml. A local anesthesia is preferred instead of spinal/general anesthesia; and, whenever possible continuous urinary bladder catheterization and drainage is done until the patient is ambulatory.