Post-Prostatectomy Urinary Incontinence: Response to Behavioral Training

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Abstract
Urinary incontinence after prostatectomy can be psychologically and socially disabling. We reviewed our experience with 27 patients who were incontinent between 5 and 198 months after either radical retropubic, total perineal or transurethral prostatectomy. These patients were entered into our bladder behavior clinic, which was administered by nursing staff with physician supervision. Patients were strongly encouraged to discontinue the incontinence devices, and were then evaluated for the type and extent of incontinence. Perineal exercises were demonstrated in detail, tested for their correct use via simultaneous rectal and abdominal examination, and applied to the pattern of incontinence. Patients were evaluated frequently for compliance and their progress was followed with instruction repeated as needed. Pharmaceutical agents were not used. Among the 24 patients evaluable over-all improvement in the number of incontinent episodes was 56.6% (p < 0.001). Two patients (8.3%) achieved total continence, 10 (42%) improved greatly, 4 showed moderate improvement and 8 (33%) showed essentially no change. Transurethral and perineal prostatectomy patients improved by 74 and 61%, respectively, versus only 33% in the radical retropubic group (p = 0.14). In addition, patients who previously underwent transurethral resection before total prostatectomy did worse (18%) than did those who did not (67%). We conlude that a significant number of patients who are incontinent after prostatectomy (especially those without a prior transurethral resection) can improve dramatically with a behavioral training program that provides a strong support system.