ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of postoperative no indwelling urethral catheters in lung operation. MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we recruited 100 patients who were scheduled for pulmonary lobectomy under general anesthesia in a single institution of Thoracic Surgery Department in West China Hospital between April and December 2014. These patients were divided into two groups including a no indwelled urethral catheter group (NIUC, 50 patients) and an indwelled urethral catheter group (IUC, 50 patients). The clinical effect was compared between the two groups. ResultsThere was no statistical difference in incidence of postoperative urinary retention or urinary tract infection between the two groups (P=0.433, 0.050). However, the comfort degrees(0 degree) of patients in the NICU group was significantly higher than that of the ICU group with a statistical difference (P=0.002). While postoperative hospitalization time in the NICU group (P=0.023) was shorter than that in the ICU group (P=0.004). Prostatic hyperplasia was the high risk factor for the lung postoperative urinary retention (P=0.056). ConclusionPostoperative no indwelling urethral catheters in lung operation has the benefit of improving the comfort degrees of inpatients and increasing the postoperation urinary retention.