A 50-year-old woman was admitted to hospital for surgical resection of the uterus (hysterectomy) for cancer. The surgeon was also going to remove all the pelvic lymph nodes and carry out a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of uterine tubes and ovaries). The patient was prepared for this procedure and underwent routine surgery. Twenty-five hours after surgery, it was noted that the patient had passed no urine and her abdomen was expanding. An ultrasound scan demonstrated a considerable amount of fluid within the abdomen. Fluid withdrawn from the abdomen was tested and found to be urine.