The Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training On Incontinence Problems After Radical Prostatectomy

• Published in: American journal of men's health Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 1007 - 1015
• Main Authors: Aylin, Aydın Sayılan, Özbaş Ayfer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2018; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Aged; Biofeedback, Psychology; Exercise Therapy - methods; Humans; Male; Mens health; Middle Aged; Original; Pelvic Floor; Postoperative Complications - diagnosis; Postoperative Complications - rehabilitation; Prostate; Prostate cancer; Prostatectomy - adverse effects; Prostatectomy - methods; Prostatic Neoplasms - surgery; Quality of Life; Reference Values; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Surgery; Treatment Outcome; Urinary incontinence; Urinary Incontinence - diagnosis; Urinary Incontinence - etiology; Urinary Incontinence - rehabilitation; Urological surgery; prostatectomy; urinary incontinence; muscle stretching exercises
• ISSN: 1557-9883; 1557-9891
• DOI: 10.1177/1557988318757242

The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME/Kegel) training administered to patients scheduled for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy on postprocedural incontinence problems. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Pelvic floor muscle exercises were applied to the procedure group three times a day for 6 months. No exercises were applied to the control group. Incontinence and quality-of-life assessments of the 60 patients in the experimental and control groups were performed on months 0 (10 days after removal of the urinary catheter), 1, 3, and 6 through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Total Incontinence Consultation on Incontinence-Short Form scores, which provide an objective criterion for the evaluation of individuals with incontinence problems, decreased over time. This decrease was statistically highly significant in the third and sixth months. Pelvic muscle floor exercises are suitable for patients experiencing incontinence after radical prostatectomy.