Fifty-one patients with clinical and urodynamic diagnoses of stress urinary incontinence were randomly allocated to either suprapubic (N = 24) or transurethral (N = 27) bladder drainage after vaginal surgery for stress incontinence (revised Pereyra procedure). Postoperative use of suprapubic bladder drainage significantly reduced febrile morbidity (calculated as fever index; P less than .01) and length of hospitalization (P less than .05). Postoperative normal bladder functions resumed more quickly when suprapubic drainage was used (P less than .05), so that most patients did not need bladder catheterization upon discharge, as opposed to more than half of those with Foley catheters, who left the hospital with a catheter in place (P less than .05). We conclude that it is both beneficial and cost-effective to use suprapubic bladder drainage after a Pereyra operation for stress urinary incontinence.