| Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided urethral balloon dilation (UBD) in improving voiding function among patients with urinary retention after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: A randomized controlled trial with a Zelen design was conducted. A total of 74 inpatients with SCI-related urinary retention admitted were allocated 1∶1 to a intervention group or a control group. The intervention lasted 2 weeks. Primary outcomes were the neurogenic bladder symptom score (NBSS), voiding-diary measures and 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC-10).Results: At baseline, there were no significant between-group differences in NBSS scores, mean daily catheterization frequency, or CD-RISC-10 scores. After 2 weeks of treatment, the intervention group demonstrated significant reductions in urinary storage and voiding symptom scores, outcome scores, total NBSS scores, and mean daily catheterization frequency (P<0.01), together with a significant increase in CD-RISC-10 scores (P<0.01). In the control group, mean daily catheterization frequency and outcome scores decreased significantly from baseline (P<0.01). Between-group comparisons at post-treatment showed that the intervention group achieved significantly better mean daily catheterization frequency, urinary storage and voiding symptom scores, total NBSS scores, and CD-RISC-10 scores than the control group (P<0.01, 0.05). In addition, changes in CD-RISC-10 scores were significantly correlated with changes in mean daily catheterization frequency, urinary storage and voiding symptom scores, and total NBSS scores (P<0.01, 0.05).Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided urethral balloon dilation can, in the short term, improve storage and voiding symptoms and reduce the need for catheterization, while also enhancing patients' psychological resilience. The procedure is minimally invasive and feasible, and merits further clinical adoption and long-term follow-up evaluation. |
