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How to Manage Urinary Incontinence After a Prostatectomy
To safeguard your health, you underwent a prostatectomy, and now you’re struggling with postsurgical incontinence. Short-lived incontinence after a prostatectomy is fairly common, but, unfortunately, 6-8% of men who have their prostates removed deal with long-term incontinence.
Whether incontinence is short term or long term, Dr. Robert Cornell and our team of men’s health specialists offer a number of solutions that can resolve post-prostatectomy incontinence and improve your quality of life.
Let’s take a look.
Why the incontinence?
One of the primary reasons why some men develop incontinence after a prostatectomy is due to the fact that, when you undergo a radical prostatectomy, one of the valves that regulates the flow of urine is removed. You do have another valve, which is why most men don’t have any long-term issues with incontinence, as this remaining valve usually takes over operations.
Other reasons for incontinence after a prostatectomy may include the following:
- Nerve damage
- Loss of support for your urethra
- Obesity
- Advanced age
No matter the underlying reasons for your incontinence, we want you to know that there are solutions.
Short-term incontinence
In the weeks and months following a prostatectomy, many men encounter short-term problems with urinary incontinence when their catheters come out and there are several ways we can approach the problem.
One of the first recommendations we make is that you do exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor. This group of tissues forms a hammock under your reproductive, urinary, and lower gastrointestinal organs that supports the organs. By strengthening this band of tissue, you can better support your bladder and urethra, allowing them to function better.
We can also prescribe medications that are designed to quell urinary incontinence.
You can do your part by avoiding certain behaviors, such as drinking too much caffeine, which can stimulate your bladder.
Long-term incontinence
If you’re struggling with moderate to severe incontinence or the problem has lasted for 9-12 months after your prostatectomy, it may be time for a more aggressive approach.
At our practice, we offer two excellent solutions:
AdVance™ Male Sling System
If you’re struggling with stress incontinence, the AdVance Male Sling System provides the support your urethra needs to control the flow of urine. The sling is a synthetic mesh system that we place around your urethra through tiny incisions.
AMS 800™ Urinary Control System
This system is what we call an artificial urinary sphincter, which allows you to control the flow of urine through your urethra. We implant this device through a small incision in your scrotum and, with a push of a button, you can control your sphincter function.
We perform both of these minimally invasive surgeries on an outpatient basis, which means you’re free to go home the same day. Better still, your results will be immediate and you shouldn’t have to worry about involuntary urinary leakage moving forward.
If you want to figure out which post-prostatectomy incontinence treatment is right for you, please contact our office in Houston, Texas, to set up a consultation.
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