dealing with incontinence after prostate surgery

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Most men will experience some kind of leakage or incontinence after surgery, but normally these cases will resolve themselves.

Men can suffer from minor leakage caused by coughing, laughing or changing positions or more severe cases of incontinence which can end up completely soaking their clothing or furniture. In either case, dealing with incontinence after prostate surgery is often an issue that men will need to be aware of.

Urinary incontinence can be devastating for many men to wait to resolve on its own over time. Even though they are aware of the cause of their incontinence, it can still be very disturbing and embarrassing for them to have to deal with.

The incontinence suffered by many men after prostate surgery can be stress related or urge incontinence, and in some cases can be both. Stress incontinence is often caused by an intrinsic urethral sphincter deficiency.

The sphincter is located at the base of the bladder and is an interwoven band of muscle. This sphincter acts as the first line of defence against leakage of urine in normal cases. The pressure in the urethra will become higher as the bladder fills and the sphincter remains closed.

This sphincter may become damaged during surgery, causing sphincter deficiency. When this happens, urine will be able to leak out when the pressure inside the bladder exceeds that in the urethra, for example when the man sneezes or coughs, changes positions or performs an activity adding pressure, such as hitting a golf ball. Stress incontinence after surgery can be temporary or permanent, depending on the overall amount of damage that has been done.

Prostate surgery can also result in urge incontinence that involves leakage of urine which is associated with a very strong urge to void. This kind of incontinence can occur because of the muscles trying to overcome the obstruction caused by the enlarged prostate before the surgery.

The bladder becomes larger over time, and will begin to contract with a strong force in order to get past the bladder obstruction. After surgery, the bladder may still be using the forceful contractions, causing the man to lose control and leak urine.

Urge incontinence can also be caused by nerve damage received during the surgery that can affect the ability to store urine, even at low volumes.

Mixed incontinence can occur when there is bladder instability and weakness of the urethral sphincter together.
There are some medications which have been used to combat the problem of incontinence, but many of them have unpleasant side effects of their own. Surgery can also be performed, but is usually only as a last resort.

It has been shown that performing Kegel exercises before surgery can be beneficial. These are exercises which work to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These exercises are also recommended after surgery, and can help to alleviate the problems of incontinence for most men.

Dealing with incontinence after prostate surgery can be bothersome and affect the way of life for many men. But, learning how to exercise the muscles and deal with certain changes that may be necessary to live with the inconvenience of leakage is important for the man to be able to live a full life after surgery.

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