Urinary Incontinence After Prostate Surgery

Urinary Incontinence After Prostate Surgery

1 in 10 men experience some form of Urinary Incontinence every day, and one of the most common causes is Prostate Cancer surgery.

Did you know?

  • There are 41,000+ cases of Prostate Cancer are reported each year1
  • 69% of Prostatectomy Patients will experience Urinary Incontinence post-surgery1
  • 88% will still suffer from Urinary Incontinence at least 12 months after surgery1

The main type of Prostate Cancer Surgery is Radical Prostatectomy, where the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland as well as some of the surrounding tissue. Whilst surgery is a common treatment route for Prostate Cancer patients, there are two main side effects, Urinary Incontinence & Erectile Dysfunction.

Common Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Surgery

Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence is a bothersome complication of radical prostatectomy surgery, and studies have shown that it is experienced in as many as 69%2 of post-prostatectomy patients, with up to 88% of patients still suffering up to 1 year later2.

There are three types of male incontinence:

  1. Stress Incontinence
  2. Overflow Incontinence
  3. Urge Incontinence

How long does it take to overcome incontinence after undergoing prostate cancer surgery?

A study showed that 88% of post-prostatectomy patients suffering from stress incontinence were still suffering up to 1-year later1.

However, as Post Prostate Cancer Surgery patients will experience different degrees of side effects, so do they recover from these side effects at variable rates. In most cases, the recovery time for Urinary Incontinence Post Prostate cancer surgery ranges from 6-12months in most cases2, with continence improving progressively up until 2 years post-surgery2.

Impact of Male Incontinence on Quality of Life

Depression and decreased quality of life have been found to co-occur in patients struggling with incontinence. Fear of leaks in public and the required changes & limitations that incontinence has on daily life can have a big impact on well-being. It can make such a difference to be able to carry out previously enjoyed activities, especially after going through the trauma of cancer. Whether it be golfing with friends, having a pint down at the pub, or going for your morning run, you can get back to normal life by treating Urinary Incontinence head-on.

Treating Male Incontinence by Strengthening the Pelvic Floor

A common misconception is that men don’t have a pelvic floor, which isn’t the case! Like women, men also have a pelvic floor, which among other things, is responsible for bladder control. The pelvic floor is made up of a complex set pelvic floor muscles, which, when exercised, can be strengthened for greater control.

There are many ways to manage and treat incontinence in men Post Prostate Cancer surgery including:

  • Pads
  • Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegel Exercises)
  • Biofeedback
  • Pelvic Floor Stimulation (INNOVO & Probes)

INNOVO offers a compelling Urinary Incontinence treatment option for men. Easy to use, comfortable to wear, and clinically proven to work, INNOVO is a completely non-invasive male incontinence treatment that helps you safely and effortlessly strengthen and re-educate the entire network of pelvic floor muscles through gentle muscle stimulation.

Using INNOVO for just 30 minutes p/day, five days p/week has been proven to treat bladder weakness, and in as little as 4 weeks1. There are no probes to insert, just pull on the shorts, connect the controller and let INNOVO do the hard work for you. And best of all, it actually works. A clinical study found that:

  • 80% of users saw a significant reduction in leaks after just 4 weeks3
  • 87% of users were defined as either dry or almost dry after 12 weeks4
  • 90% of users would recommend the therapy to others5

INNOVO is suitable for use by women and men of all ages, and effectively treats stress, urge and mixed incontinence in the privacy of your home.

Real People, Real Results

 

 

 

Sources

  1. https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/living-with-prostate-cancer/urinary-problems
  2. https://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/mens-guide/urinary-incontinence#1
  3. Soeder S, et al, A randomised, controlled, double-blind, clinical study to compare two neuromuscular stimulator devices in female stress urinary incontinence: Effects on symptoms and quality of life. IUGA Conference 2018
  4. R. Dmochowski – Novel external electrical muscle stimulation device for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: randomized controlled noninferiority trial versus intravaginal electrical stimulation. ICS Conference 2018
  5. Observational study on the treatment of stress urinary incontinence with Innovotherapy, April 2014
Back to blog