It is not uncommon to have calls from patients asking us why they suffer from incontinence after the removal of their catheter following radical surgery to treat their prostate cancer. Often they tell us that their doctor told them about leaks, not incontinence.

It is often by asking questions to patients that we understand that the doctor has indeed discussed light urinary leakage as one of the residual side effects of surgery that can persist beyond 12 months in some patients. And while porting the catheter was also discussed during this discussion, including its removal and the immediate loss of urine that follows as well as the recovery time, the understanding of post-surgery incontinence has not been understood by some patients. Hence this type of call!

Medical review by Marie-Lyssa Lafontaine, medical student, urology axis, University of Montreal, on 11/28/2022

What there is to know

When the catheter is removed, one to two weeks after surgery, almost all men have difficulty controlling their urination (urgent urination, loss of urine on exertion). Most often this urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine) requires wearing protection to avoid surprises. It is not uncommon for some men to completely empty their bladders upon removal of the catheter before even going to the bathroom.

Urinary incontinence is a normal complication of surgery, in the short term. The duration and severity can vary from man to man. But for 85% to 90% of men, things gradually return to normal between 1 and 12 months after the operation.

When your doctor was talking about urinary leakage…

He was probably referring to the 5% and 10% of men who constantly experience some degree of stress incontinence, i.e. they leak drops of urine when they cough, laugh, sneeze or make an effort (to lift a heavy object, for example). For the vast majority, leaks are minimal or occasional and improve over time.

Kegel exercises and perineal rehabilitation (exercises of the muscles of the perineum under the supervision of a physiotherapist) can bring about an improvement. The article Your pelvic rehabilitation in 5 points precisely addresses the question.

When incontinence persists

For some men, exercises and rehabilitation will not be enough. It will then be important to discuss this with your doctor to understand the options available to you. The articles Do you still have urinary leakage? and Incontinence that persists… When to consider surgery? can enlighten you further.

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Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease, our expert lectures and webinars, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you, our events and ways to get involved in advancing the cause.

You have questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate. You can chat with us or contact us at 1-855-899-2873 to discuss with one of our nurses specialized in uro-oncology. They are there to listen, support and answer your questions, as well as those of your family or loved ones. It’s simple and free, like all of our other services.

Webinar to review
Prostate Cancer: Your test preparation, procedures and results
Biopsy, understand your report

Pages of our site that might interest you
Want to know more? Just click on the link below.
Coping with prostate cancer

PROCURE blog articles that might interest you
Every week we publish a blog article. Here are some for you.
States of prostate cancer post-treatment
If I had been given the choice
Why am I not receiving any treatment?

Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2022