Abstract
Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a likely consequence following radical prostatectomy. Physical therapy interventions for post-radical prostatectomy UI, including pelvic floor muscle (PFM) exercise with the assistance of electromyography biofeedback; behavioral training, including bladder training and urgency suppression techniques to delay voids; and abdominal muscle strengthening exercises are typically recommended to men soon after surgery. The purpose of this case report was to describe the physical therapy management of a male patient with a 10-year history of persistent post-radical prostatectomy bladder symptoms.
Study Design: Case report.
Case Description: The patient was a 76-year-old man 10 years postprostatectomy with symptoms of urgency and mixed UI. Physical therapy interventions included PFM exercises, behavioral strategies to reduce urinary urgency and frequency and to prevent UI leakage, and bladder training.
Outcomes: This patient achieved improved bladder control and enhanced quality of life. Specifically, the International Continence Society Male Short Form (ICSmaleSF) functional questionnaire scores improved, with the largest change (50% improvement) in the Incontinence subscore. In addition, UI quality-of-life impact was endorsed as "not at all" following intervention. The number of UI episodes per day also decreased by 50%, and improvements in PFM function and abdominal strength also occurred.
Discussion: This case report illustrates that improvement in bladder control and quality of life is possible well beyond 1 year postprostatectomy with physical therapy interventions.