Urinary Incontinence After Prostate Surgery: Everything You Need To Know - National Association For Continence (2024)

68 Responses

1. 6 weeks agoI had surgery to reduce the size of my prostate. It has made me incontinent, going through three diapers per day. Being 79 years old, my urologist will prescribe only mybetriq due to cognitive concerns. She wants me to get Interstim implanted. But I am afraid of the difficulties with that implant. I also fear botox injections. Consequently, I am leaning toward just living with this incontinence indefinitely. Please advise.

2. I had surgery 7 months ago and I do pelvic sleeve for many times a day but still using 3 pads a day sometimes even 4 and don’t know If I had to go for the other surgery what are the consequences will I be better or much the same can you help
   Thank you

3. I had a prostatectomy in June 2020. Despite Kegel exercises I have had no improvement in18 months. i use two to three full size large pads every 24 hours. I have been prescribed, by my urologist, various medications to no effect. On my last visit he glibly informed me that the medical system in Cyprus meant that unless I went private he could do no more. Added to this I have erectile dysfunction and the usual pills do not help. I have been shown and have used Cav Jet injections. Your optimistic statements on recovery process leave me cold. The Hypocratic Oath says do no harm. At present I feel badly harmed. All that has happened is that I have swapped quality of life for longevity. If I had known at the outset what the outcome of this procedure was to be I would not have had it.

4. I had radical prostatectomy in august 2019. They call it nerve sparing but I feel that may not be true. They do cause a lot of damage in the area leaving me with erectile dysfunction and urine incontinence. Still suffering with urine incontinence. Cannot sleep at night without a diaper. The medicines for urine incontinence have serious side effects and they don’t do any help with this issue. New surgical options are being put forward. Not sure if I should trust these options. Has anyone ever benefited from these surgical options not sure?

5. The first year after my surgery the leakage was light, now yrs later it is uncontrollable. Going through multiple pads and many times having the seat in my pants soaked, this added to an already nonexistent sex life …. don’t have words to describe it, but I chose drug use over suicide and now I am dead just kinda existing. So I know what you guys feel and then some.
   Good luck

6. Can someone tell me if going through 5-6 dipers a day after my Nov. 22nd surgery is normal? Roday is Dec. 10th. I have resumed walking \ light house work that is 10,000 steps a day for exercise. I feel pretty much OK….but the urine just does not stop.

   Can anyone tell me it will be 5-6 diapers a day — then go to 2-3 diapers a day in 30 – 60 days – then maybe 12 diapers a day for 12 months as a norm?

   My docotr just tells me to do these Kegels but they seem ineffective so far. It is very annoying (you feel subhuman) and lack of control is drving me insane….any positve words of encouragemnt from someone who has felt like me and gotten better would help ease my anxiety….

7. I have lost all bladder control, I’m doing my kegels constantly but they always force some out before they hold any in. The whole thing has taken over my life completely. Some of the horror stories I’m reading suggest I should just give up trying, stay home and just let it flow.

8. I concurred with all the previous comments concerning prostate surgery. I had the freezing of the prostate procedure done back in 2012 and have incontinence problems and erectile dysfunction that persist to day; I was told that these problems would stop over time, but they have not stop at the present time. The medication Myrbetriq and Duloxetine does noting to treat incontinence and Viagra and the like medications does not work for erectile dysfunction; why do urologist prescribe them.

9. I had robotic prostatectomy in Feb 2022. Cancer was found in nerves on one side of prostate, which were removed, along with a few lymph nodes, one was cancerous, and seminal vesicles, also positive.
   A few months later my PSA was O.096, below 0.01 is the target, and 3 months later gone up to 0.116.
   I have zoom with uro doc in a week about that result. I expect he will talk about radiation and hormones, neither of which I am keen on.
   I am using 1-2 pads a day. I can go through the night without leakage and till about noon. Often by mid afternoon I am leaking with the pad full by 5-6pm. I might user a second pad if I have to leave the house for any reason, otherwise I use 9 oz plastic cup tucked into Depends and empty it periodically. After shower at 9-10pm I start a new pad when I get into bed.
   I have checked medications I take for any with side effects of bladder irritation and reduced dosages if necessary. I have one drink at about 7am, or none until 11 after I get back from work.
   I like to drink coffee and wine, both not recommended, possibly because of the acidity irritating the bladder. I have tested the acidity of these, and decaf and acid-free coffee and acid-free decaf, and my urine, all which seem to make no difference. Nevertheless I am currently drinking water and milk only and testing that.
   I urinate into a 16 oz pyrex glass jug so I can measure my bladder volume when I need to pee. This shows whether that volume, and hence muscle control is improving.
   I do Kegels three times daily which helped in the first 6 months but less so now.
   E-stim is a common modality for treating women with urinary incontinence, it stimulates pelvic floor muscles. A product sold in England, Innovo, is approved for e-stim in men and women. Use in men is not FDA approved in USA, but women’s use is. It’s a pair of neoprene shorts with eight 4×5″ electrodes. Thirty minutes use each day is supposed to show benefit within three months. The shorts are unisex and I ordered a pair last week from the US branch.
   I’m not sure about future treatment for me. At 72 years old quality of life is more important than duration, and I have some traveling to do. For anyone in a similar situation Google Joe Tippens, and do the research on fenbendazole.

10. I had a RARP on November 15 this year[5 weeks ago] and have unrelenting issues with urinary incontinence.This has dramatically impacted my quality of life and at this stage I am wondering if I could have made a better choice.Possibly Proton Beam Therapy as opposed to Radiation Therapy.
    I am also using at least 5 to 6 level 3 pads and 3 to 4 level 3 Incontinence underwear pants per day and having as many as 7 showers and 3 baths per day.
    At age 71 the loss of sexual function does not bother me but the incontinence is not improving and at this stage I am deeply regretful at my surgical outcome.

11. I’m 62 years old, my prostate was removed 11 days ago and the probe was removed 4 days ago. At the moment I’m having small dribbles, 4-6 times a day.

    What improvement can I expect, what can I do to eliminate it, and how long will it be extinguished, since it is a small leak?

12. I had a TURP procedure 18 months ago. Recommended by my trusted urologist.
    Wish I had looked at the blogs before I agreed.
    Incontinent ever since.
    Diapers…….. embarrassing, inconvenient, and pricey.

13. Interesting reading these comments as I was not aware incontinence could be an issue following prostate surgery. I had the HOLEP procedure in March 2022 which was successful and I now have a strong flow and able to empty my bladder. Incontinence started after the operation, and whilst it has improved I still need to wear a pad when walking, playing golf or other activities. Fortunately I no longer need to wear a pad at night. I did try the exercises for a while, but am not convinced they have much effect. For the past 5 months I have also been prescribed Solifenacin, but again I am not sure they have improved the situation.

14. I am a man 54 years. I undergone brachytherapy in 2018 and radiation therapy in 2021. This left me with urinary incontinence. I am currently using male incontinence care products (condom catheters and urine leg bag) together with male incontinence pads. My urologist suggested implantation of AUS (Artificial Urinary Sphincter). I have doubts about the operation for implantation of artificial urinary sphincter. Can you assist by providing me with more information on the POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS and/or DISADVANTAGES of artificial urinary sphincter.

15. I had radical prostrate surgery on Oct 13 2022 and a” went well . I am doing kegel exercisez daily and am able to control the flow except when I get up of bend to put on shoes etc when a small amount flows out into the pad, I use a pad inside a diaper as an additional protection so I am able to go through the whole day much without changing the b pad or the diaper. If pad does get full I can take it out and then use the diaper the rest of the day also. The trick is to use a tight underwear over the diaper also to keep it snug on you so there are less chances of wetting the underwear and then the trouser when you r outside the house. I also use a macintosh on my bed mattress when sleeping so as not to wet the mattress pad or mattress very important.

16. I had radical prostate surgery via de Vinci method in 2005. Afterwards did a lot of kegel exercises. My incontinence gradually improved, although I was never confident enough to go without a pad. I eventually got down to 1 pad a day, and did not have to use one when walking or working out. However, in last 3 months the incontinence has become worse, sometimes 3 pads a day. I have tried to completely avoid soft drinks, and caffeinated coffee. I have found that sometimes the way I sit in a chair seems to cause some leakage that I don’t feel until later. I was told by new doctor that kegel exercises would do no good this far away from the surgery. I have thought that performing kegel exercises would help.

    I am 75 years and otherwise am blest to be in very good health. I am asking for suggestions.

17. The urethal sling operation does help with the incontinence problem – also the Botox injection via day surgery is good to stop incontinence for 6-9 months – at least this provides a break in dealing with the problem

18. Urethal sling operation achieves good results in a large number of cases and the Botox injection via day surgery gives good relief from Incontinence for around 6-7 months – at least this gives some happiness for this period of time and operation can be repeated for further relief

19. When posting please let us know your age, urinary problems if existed before surgery, what you were told before surgery, and where surgery was done. Surgical skills affect the outcome. This will help everyone, especially, who is considering surgery. Thank you ALL.

20. I had my RRP on Dec 13, 2022, good continence and erection before, I have urge now, I void but besides that I leak, I’m wearing three pads a day, occasionally 4, I’m 72 years old and feel uncomfortable with the situation, do you know of anybody my age regaining continence and erection, thanks.

21. I had a HoLEP on October 13, 2022. The leaking has not subsided one bit since the day of the operation. With so many similar conditions in here after a HoLEP, I’m wondering if urologists are aware of the after effects, but just don’t care because it’s a quick and easy procedure, and it pays them good. Maybe they have stock in Depends which I use 2 boxes every 6 days at a cost of $30. There has been no letup in the flow and it stinks and is cold in the winter. It’s a terrible way to live.

22. I had had my prostate removed over 10 years ago. Much leaking at the beginning. Kegels were my life and pads. I wore pads for about 3 years and have off and on over the years too. I have had only limited pads and no cancer for seven years. Very grateful. I am taking ED medication which is working. Grateful for that too. Now, not leaking ususally, but I’m finding I’m now leaking with an erection during intercourse which is a big turn off for my partner. Can’t explain it away. It doesn’t bother me because I know what it is and why. But to go into that whole story: “well….i’ve got a story for you”. This is how I ended up on this site and I’m glad for honest people sharing their true experiences. Back to kegels and asking for help. I’m 63 now, no more surgeries for me please. That’s how it’s been for me, something new happens, and it gets figured out. Keep talking.

23. I am 68 years of age. I had a robotic prostatectomy in Sept 2022. My cancer was contained to the prostate.The surgery was done by Alister Campbell at the John Flynn hospital in Tugun on the Gold Coast. The surgeon told me to expect some incontinence for the first 6 to 12 months. The Catheter was removed after 1 week and I started with one pad for the day and one at night. After four months I no longer need the day pad and only use one at night. Coughing or sneezing can still cause small leakage. I still have erectile dysfunction and the surgeon has me using a vacuum device needles and Viagra. He said keeping the blood flow in the penis to keep it healthy is important and that the erectile dysfunction may improve with time. He has also suggested a penile implant as a last resort if there is no improvement after 12 months. Has anyone had one of these implants and if so can you please let me know on the pros and cons of having one.

24. I had radical prostatectomy on Halloween 2022. I use depends and pads. I do kegel exercises and pelvic floor exercises. I am use a depends and pad in the morning and change the pad during the day as needed and when I go to bed I use a depends and pad. I think I am using 4 pads a day. I am hoping it gets better doing more kegels now hoping for improvement. My cancer was undetectable on my first checkup . That’s good news. Hoping less pads . It’s tough when I laugh or cough causing leakage. I can see some improvement. I look at it as it could be worse. I am thankful they removed the cancer.

25. Im 59 years old and I had robotic prostate surgery three years ago with nerve sparring on one side. Six months later I had to have follow up radiation treatment with little adverse effects are up until now where I have been passing blood clots from blisters in my bladder. PSA is less than 0.01 which I’m very happy about. My incontinence problems is quite strange in the fact that I can go all day without needing to wear a pad but quite regularly I suffer from nocturia which is problematic. I found that if I sleep on my side im usually ok but if I end up on my back im in floods. Since my operation I haven’t been able to get an erection and all medications doesnt seem to work, which is very depressing. Anyone else suffer from nocturia ??

26. 58 yr old male w/ very weak flow for the past 3-5 yrs w/ it getting progressively worse ea yr. Other than no flow wasn’t having any other issues and each time they checked me I was fully emptying my bladder which they couldn’t believe based on the obstruction and very weak stream. Had TURP done on Dec 6th. Ever since I’ve been having severe bladder spasms and very bad urge incontinence mostly at night. In a six hour period (midnight – 6am) I get up anywhere between 4-15 times a night. It’s starting to trend lower on the 4-6 more
    Nights rather than 10-14 which are killers. Started doing kegels last week so too early to see if helping.

27. I am 8 weeks since DaVinci Robotic prostatectomy.
    Cancer removed confirmed it was only in prostate. Jamie Reynolds urologist did a great job I believe.
    However I had a tear in urethra and had a catheter & bag fitted for 3 weeks.
    1 week after the catheter removal my incontinence is epic.
    Very debilitating for an active 72 year old.
    I go through 3 nappies a day & up to 6 insert’s pads.I leak constantly & I don’t have any control over it.
    Night time is better however I think I was fooling myself that I could maintain a good lifestyle. Kegels are being done daily up to 70-100. I am struggling to keep my head together if I don’t improve.
    Be careful with your treatment guys this is a horrible situation.

28. I am 72 years old and recently had a da Vinci Robot Prostate removed.
    Urologist Jamie Reynolds very good and thorough.
    My incontinence 8 weeks after surgery is horrible.I have little control and I hoping that the level exercising will help me recover.
    There is not enough balance regarding the amount of incontinence you can suffer.
    It is draining mentally and I appreciate the comments posted as I know I’m not alone.
    Very difficult to talk about.
    Thanks

29. I had surgery, am leaking and my doctor suggesting Urethal sling operation. am worried about infection and future complication, kindly advise.

30. I’m a 20 year surviver of prostate cancer, and yes I’m impotent and incontinent. I had robotic surgery in a CA hospital; however, the cancer returned a few years later. I live in Thailand and it is currently midnight so I will continue my story in a day or two. I deal with my incontinence and my prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence in unconventional ways which I will explain in detail in my next post.

    My very best to all of you comrades!

    Ron

31. I’m Jim and had robotic prostate cancer and removed thank God it was only in my prostate I’m incontinent since August 2019 I wear depends and pads so I can change out pads I wear a penile clamp to control the incontinence I’m using innovo now to help legal exercises so far still incontinent I’m also having e d problems I should have checked on chipsa first cause Dr stated you will do well with this. Psa is below 0.00 it caused me to stay on the couch too much before I got a clamp to slow the incontinence and then I had to have open heart procedure triple bypass surgery. But I walk more with pads and depends and clamp and work out I’m 66 feel like 46 I’m just trying to keep going good luck all of you

32. Instead of using expensive diapers that wet your entire bottom, I wrap my little guy in a couple of toilet tissues covered with two folded paper towels and then cover everything with a shortened sanitary napkin plastic bag held in place with rubber bands that are about an inch in diameter. You can experiment with this until you come up with something that works best for you. I have found that the cheap brown towels that are available in some public restrooms are fairly soft and absorbent. Being brown they also show any amount of wetness more so than the white paper towels on rolls that we use at home. I have been using this unconventional method to control my incontinence for many years and it works as well as anything.
    Regarding my recurrence of prostate cancer after surgery, I have been using estradiol (E2) gel as ADT rather than subjecting myself to the outrageously priced trimonthly Lupron injections that require doctor visits. The gel that I use is called Oestrogel and it is made in France by Besins. It is not available in America since the pharmaceutical companies and the doctors don’t want an inexpensive, self administered gel to eliminate the nasty Lupron injections. I started using it 5 years ago and my PSAs for over 4 years have all been undetectable. It has been a medical hormone for me with none of the nasty side effects such as hot flashes and bone density loss. I haven’t been to a doctor since I started using the gel. Dr. Richard J. Wassersug has written a book on this subject which I highly recommend for men that are on Lupron injections.

33. I had HOLEP surgery May 2022. Incontinence followed. I used the clamp (from Amazon), condom catheters, diapers and pads (at different times). This went on for about two months. Then I went to pads and thin shields. I did PT with a specialist in pelvic floor – lots of kegels. What made big difference was my surgeon prescribing imiprimine- a drug found to help young children with bed wetting. It made a big difference. That drug helps connect the involuntary muscle signals to the shutoff valve. Almost 10 months now and I do not use pads or shields. only occasionally do I have uncolntrolled flow now. And if I do it is small. Try imiprimine. 65 year old guy.

34. I had RP surgery Jan 05, 2023 at St Joes in Hamilton, Ontario. I thought the first 12 days of having a catheter were the most miserable of my life but now 12 weeks after surgery some days are competing with that. Bed time, no issue. Getting up from a chair I have the ability to hold most of the urine until I get to a toilet. But I have to be near one of I will lose it all. I have been doing Physio and kegels and I can’t measure any improvement. I can hold urine during a cough, sneeze but walking is where I lose it. Going through at least 4 maximum absorbency pads. So pending the quantity I drink, half goes in the toilet and half in the pads. I am absolutely fed up sitting in urine all day. And this is with 1(one) coffee a day. I have only had drinks when we went on a family vacation and it was a disaster. Hoping to use some Electric-magnetic therapy but I have steel sutures from a previous hernia repair so they are investigating the possibility. People ask how I am and I say ok. My pathology is clean but I am having a super difficult time being happy about it. My frustration level is 10 out of 10. I sure hope this doesn’t last another 9 months as I might be like another poster.

35. Had robotic surgery. Been incontinent for a long time. Kegels exercises all the time. Leaking will not stop.
    Literature says 6-8% of guys get incontinent after surgery. I say BS, maybe 6-8% don’t have issues. 94% will! Don’t know what the lesser of two evils is: have surgery and no normal life, or don’t and let the cancer run it’s course so you can live normal a few more years… Prostate cancer sucks!

36. I’m 64 with metastatic prostate cancer. I just had my second TURP after chemo pretty much rendered my existing cancer dormant. I’ve got a Geisson score of 8/10 which isn’t great. My first TURP was mid February 2022, initially things went well but after a 9 months I needed a catheter again. Not happy. So 4 days after my TURP I’ve noticed the odd drop of urine appearing which is annoying. Hopefully it’s only temporary. I’m just wondering what’s been your experience, how long was it an issue. I’m taking 2 weeks off from the gym (Kieser) so I can recuperate. Been having aches and pains from the prostate which I’m expecting to settle down over the next few weeks. Taking Oxycodone and Ibrufen for pain relief and Coloxl with Senna as a laxative.

37. Do any of the questions presented get answered? I have incontinence since having prostate stone removed 6 months ago.
    Hormone and radiation therapy about 6 years ago.
    Will see my urologist next week. Hoping that she will consider an artificial urinary sphincter. Not sure if that will be an option as i have urge incontinence and from what i have read it probably would not work in that case. Also have nocturia. Am 76, in good health but it gets me down without question.
    Just curious. I prefer a condom catheter and leg bag to using pads. How do others feel?

38. Four weeks after my catheter was removed I still had no control. I would wear a diaper and sit on a towel for extra protection. However I did make slow progress. Eventually, I was able to hold a kegel, leaking only a small amount, getting from the couch to the toilet. In general my goal was to get urine into the toilet and less into my pads. When I had to stand all day, sometimes I had to change my pad after 90 minutes. I can now hold my kegel longer. Still only a minute or two, but if I can slowly increase the time, I am making progress. I do have short periods where I have bad control, usually when I travel. As long as I keep making slow progress I have confidence that I will eventually regain control. Give yourself lots of patience and try to keep a positive attitude. If after a week you can hold ten seconds longer that is success. Keep trying and practicing. You are training your muscles, but also your brain and body. This takes time. Remember toddlers fall thousands of times but eventually learn to walk. We need similar persistence.

39. 72 years old and it’s been 3 months today since my Robotic Prostate Removal Surgery. Had catheter in for 6 days. Not too bad but I have not stopped leaking since. Getting up from lying or sitting is when it starts, then walking around it stops and goes. I use the Depends Max Guards and go through 5-10 a day. At night I add Depends Fit-Flex Under Wear for added insurance from leaking through. I do kegels throughout the day but doesn’t seem to help yet. The hard thing is ….how long will this last??. Not considering any other surgery to help for fear of making it worse.

40. I’ve just had my catheter removed 6 days after a da vinci prostatectomy in Holland.
    I thought i was ok, but the leakage is an obvious problem now.
    I’ ve read the posts here and feel betrayed by the medical system that ushers men with pc to surgery with just a cursory mention of the ‘inconvenience’ of incontinence. I’m 68 and have made a serious mistake, i dont want A long life, i want a good life, as most guys do. And they don’t make it clear how horrible the future seems if these stories are what i can expect for the coming years.
    If anyone is reading this for advice, my advice is don’t have surgery, change your diet and take supplements, visit a naturopath, use ivermectin regularly and don’t be angry 👍
    That is what I’ll do now to stop any recurrence of the pc (which happens often)
    Take care, God bless you all.

41. Six years ago, I had a prostatectomy combined with the removal of a large bladder diverticula grapefruit in size according to what the surgeon told my wife. In 2008 I had green light laser surgery that helped with incontinence a little. I am still incontinent. I wear tape on diapers during the day. Sometimes I only need one, other days up to 3. At night I wear pin on cloth diapers to save a little cash. I can go several nights staying dry, but then I will several nights where I’m wet. Since my prostatectomy, I have developed heart failure, peripheral neuropathy, and lumbar spinal stenosis which I feel has worsened my incontinence. My wife passed away suddenly in August of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease which has changed my life forever. One never knows what life will through at you. I’m living my life the best I can. So, I am incontinent and need to wear diapers to manage. It is what it is.
    n

42. Oh dear, I have just read these note from 37 recent respondents prior to having the TURPS procedure in two weeks time. The thought of total urine incontinence is chilling.
    If it helps I can report that I have had overnight problems for a number of years and I discovered an excellent washable nappy made here in the U.K. which really does provide both comfort and security ( no wet beds) .
    It is made by a company called SnuggleBlanks. It has to be used with waterproof pants and is bulky but that of course is the secret of its success. It may well be the ( partial answer) for some of your readers .

43. I am 71 years old & had nerve sparing robotic prostatectomy on April 17, 2023. It was done by a brilliant surgeon who was able to spare all the nerves. The prostate had 4 areas of cancer, the worst being a stage 4 with a total Gleason score of 8. Radiation, such as Cyberknife, was not a good option for me. However, it was totally contained in the prostate, no evidence of cancer in any of the tissue samples around the prostate. . Thank the Lord for that! I knew going into this that incontinence & ED would be issues. I had no problems with either prior to surgery. At a little over 4 weeks after surgery I am starting to get back to normal activities. The incontinence is slowly improving. I can make it thru the night with one diaper & go thru maybe 6 pads while active during the day. Bladder control is best at night or when I’m sedentary during the day. I do get the feeling of needing to urinate & am able to hold it back, tho my badder capacity is far less than it was. So I have to pee frequently. I have read that this is due to constriction of the bladder tissues and that over time it will relax & return to normal capacity. One practice that has helped somewhat is that while I urinate I intentionally try to stop the flow, basically doing Kegels while urinating, working those muscles. I am confident that eventually I will have reasonably good control. Guys actually are born with an extra mechanism in the prostate that gals don’t have. Leakage is a problem they always have to deal with. This is why they do things like cross their legs when they sneeze! And why on a long trip they have to have to stop to pee more frequently than we guys do. As for ED, there are signs of life 4 weeks out! Again I am confident that over time & with a little practice I will regain that function as well.

44. I am 81 and have Alzheimer’s. I had prostate radiation in March of 22. I have sever leakage at night we have tried all the diapers and pads. Meds have not helped. My xwife is taking care of me. My heart goes out to you all with this leaking. I will try the imiprimine and see if this helps. Prayers are out for you all

45. I am 72 years old and had my robotic assisted prostatectomy on June 5th, 2023. My cat and staples removed on June 16th. Now all my urine is going to the men underwear (Diapers). Read these previous messages trying to find a solution and the true on all potential answers, but seems like there is not too much success on that. I trust the Kegels will help and I also have learned that Trans-cutaneal neurostimulators may help as well. I am awaiting one more week to start using my trans cutaneal neuro stimulator I have purchased in Amazon. But as all others, I am fed with this constant urine leakage. Have not heard too much on condom-catheters, which may allow the bladder to fill if the cat is held to waist level…! Any feedback on that? How about the Imipramine? Good luck to all of you!

46. I appreciate you clarifying that 6–8 percent of men who have had prostate surgery will experience urine incontinence. My pal will get robotic prostate surgery. I’ll advise him to speak to a doctor about the procedure and his urine incontinence.

47. Hi all. I had Robotic Proctectomy back in Feb 2023 with my catheter removed 3 weeks later. (The catheter was in longer than usual due problems associated with a previous hernia operation and mesh becoming attached to my bladder). My prostate was cancerous and thankfully my surgeon managed to spare some nerve endings on one side. Due to the fact my father had prostate cancer and I just witnessed my father-in-law passing away from the same disease spreading to his bladder and other organs I decided to go ahead. It is now 6mths and my incontinence is not improving even with kegals and regular visits to the physiotherapist to check my pelvic floor muscle control. I use one pad a night but depending on daily activity I can through 4-5 a day. I have no sexual urge at all and am still hoping that will return. Somedays I am happy to be gone with this insideous disease and thankfully I am alive and back into snowboarding (I use extra capacity pads). Other days when I am incontinence from no apparent reason I get depressed and wonder did I do the right thing and maybe should of explored other avenues. I dont know – but I am trying very hard to get through this and know it will take time and having support from your loved ones is just as important in your road to recovery.

48. I am 56 years old. Just had robotic assist prostectomy 3 week ago. My incontinence is manageable, ( maybe I’m lucky for that, but pathology shows the cancer has spread) I go through one maybe two pads per day, but that’s contingent on how active I am. I do the kegel exercises a few times a day. I also started doing them at least a month before surgery. I experience leakage when I get up from a chair, bend over to reach for something, of pick up something that’s a little heavy. I’m not the type to just sit around and dealing with this really is the worst part, but I do believe that doing the kegels previously proved beneficial. The surgeon said I would have quality of life issues with incontinence, but that didn’t change my decision to have it removed ( I’m glad I did). Like all who read this and are going through this ( it’s F_____ing terrible). My only advice would be to continue those exercises on a daily bases, multiple times a day. Best of luck everyone!!!

49. Robotic prostrate surgery June 1 2023. Zero continence after catheter removed. 13 #3 diaper inserts a day for the first week. Slowly slowly improved over the following two months. Now 1-3 inserts a day depending on activity. Dry at night. Dry when sitting. Cough, sneeze, lift something heavy and out comes a spurt. My biggest challenge is leaking when walking or hiking. Why is that? I do not know. Like another person on this forum I make sure I do kegels when urinating as a form of exercising muscles which also tells me I’m doing them correctly. I keep wondering if I’m doing too many and my muscles are overworked. How does one know? Nurse line no help. Doctor
    on to other patients. Just told to keep doing kegels. Lucky enough to have erections but as I approach org*sm urine floods out. More than a condom can hold. Thinking that as the body approaches org*sm the nerves that relaxes the prostrate to release sem*n now release urine from the bladder, ugh. Well at least I can get erections and org*sm at age 67. I can visualize continence within a year. Not so sure about dry org*sms. Despite all this glad the cancer is out of me. And glad to hear the other stories which makes my problems tolerable knowing I have company. Thanks everyone for your honesty.

50. had prostrate removed on july 25th ==incontinance is bad -after reading comments i feel i was duped too–urgency to urinate is bad–calling office today to ask for relieve –i wish i would have just let cancer go and live life -im 75 years old

51. I am 59 and diagnosed PC 2 months back. It is localised with gleason score 3+4=7, Intermediate Risk. Have opted for Surgery in the hope of getting rid of the cancer and confirming if it has taken a walk about (with pathology tests on the removed prostate).

    But reading all the comments above, am sort of scare with the side effects. But then all other options HT, RT etc. have the same magnitude of side effects. So I guess, with this nasty prostate cancer, it’s a choice between live short with quality life, or, live longer in discomfort and stress.

52. Pelvic Floor Therapist here-I wanted to let men know the current recommendation for best practice would be seeing a pelvic floor therapist pre-op and post-op to ensure you are doing kegels correctly and know how to manage abdominal pressure-not bearing down on the bladder with lifting and holding your breath. Generally avoiding bladder irritants, drinking 64-80 ounces of mostly water/day, wearing a penis clamp (for some) right after surgery short term can be helpful in making it 2 hours between voids and then keeping stool soft all help. I think this is a complex surgery with a complex recovery and cant fathom why more men arent sent to pelvic floor therapy for help! If anyone reads this please know there are pelvic floor therapists out there who treat men dealing with incontinence following this procedure.

53. Enlarged prostate (10 times normal) hollowed out by Hole surgery.
    No incontinence before but going to see 12 or more times day and night, enlarged prostate swaying bladder, reduced capacity.
    Op. Saturday pm sent home midday Sunday with no catheter leaking blood and urine endlessly. Water blockage after3 days, a&e fitted catheter for 3 weeks.
    Despite doing kegels all day, everyday after 7 weeks peeing whenever I move around.
    Overnight I can stay dry by waiting for urge every 2 hours but have to grasp Penis to get 5 Yards to loo.
    Catheter appears only way to stay dry!
    Surgeon recommending solifenacin. Anything better?

    Penis to get to loo before exploding.

54. Hate predictive text altering my typed words!

55. I am 57 y.o. and my Gleason score was 3+4=7 and I had a robotic prostatectomy on 23rd, August 2023. Catheter was removed after 7 days and incontinence was bad for about 5-6 days. Now, just on my 3rd week, every day is getting significantly better and I’m using only 1 medium pad every 24 hours. I have been very strict about pelvic floor exercises even a few weeks before surgery. I drink a lot of water and changed my diet to mediterranean. No drugs, no pills, no alcohol, no coffee, no tea, just water. I have never lost erection, even on the first night in hospital after surgery. I believe post surgery success has a lot to do with proper following of medical advice, exercising, healthy lifestye and last but not least – the skill level of surgeons that operate on you. Good luck to you all!!!

56. I had the cancerous prostate removed on Aug. 3rd, 23 so about two months ago. I am 70, very fit for my age. Peeing about 200 times a day. Doing the Kegel and pelvic exercises. I can get to the toilet most all of the time. I had the surgery at one of the best hospitals in Thailand. My Gleason was a 7 and no cancer outside of the prostate. In 7 weeks, will have my first blood work to look at the PSA. If it bumped up, more Lupron, and possibly targeted Bean Radiation. If the PSA moved up above .2 or so, will have a PMSA Pet Scan to identify and spots. If spots inside where the prostate was, Lupron shots, if outside the prostate, targeted Beam Radiation. The Surgeon said I will die very old now. We shall see. I wear a small pad at night but always can wake up and go pee 4 times a night and get back to sleep fine. I ventured out to the big Makro here in Thailand big as a Walmart and had 4 pee attacks in the place and got wet in the pants. 3 Thai women laughed and laughed as I ran to the bathroom there. So embarrassed. Look men, if they got all the cancer and it does not come back, I am happy to pee all the time but do hope it gets calmed down in time so I can come back and visit in Tampa and Louisville for many months but no way now as it takes 2 days to get back and Oh my, not possible now. May God heal all of us.

57. I had HoLEP surgery for BHP July 2023. I am 70 years old. I get sudden urges to urinate that I cannot hold back. The problem has taken over my life. It has expelled me from society. I get 8 urges during the day and 4-5 during the nights. I am using condom catheter with a leg urine bag during the days. I carry pee bags as a back up. These methods reduced my anxiety. Married life heading to zero. My personality completely changed. Urologist told me the surgery would allow me to have good urine flow and I would not be getting up at night as much. I can only hope he is right. Like everyone I heard only 2% of cases had incontinence. I do not swallow that story.

58. I am 59 years old and had my prostate removed as it was T2 grade 3 cancer with a Gleason score of 7. My catheter had to stay in for 6 weeks due to complications after surgery. Incontinence is constant, doing keegles as much as possible. I do not enjoy the wet feeling all the time, so I wear a condom catheter most of the time even when sleeping. I find my sleep is interrupted constantly at night and have to get up as my penis is irritated or my bladder is telling me something. I find I can then void urine, and then try to go back to sleep. Very depressing and hard to stay positive. I also don’t believe the 6-8 percent of men have this problem either after prostate surgery. The issue appears to be much higher. Take everything day by day and hope for better days to come.

59. I had “holep” surgery in late July,23. now almost 90 days later it’s like I don’t really have a bladder sphincter, I never feel a full bladder because it just flows in and out, all day long 3-5 depends per day. At night I’m lying prone, and urine accumulates in my bladder, and I can feel full and need to pee, but I have the hurry with a diaper on or it’ll all drain before I get to the toilet. It’s like I don’t have sphincters in my urethra anymore, I guess I’m happy my kidneys are working OK. I’ve been doing Kegels, ever since but no benefit from those, Myrbetriq, is not doing anything, I’ve had other suggest Estim, but I’m on the fence about more surgery more surgery.
    At 76 I was enjoying a vigorous lifestyle of backpacking and other outdoor adventures. Now I’m stuck waiting every 3-5 hours for a diaper change, only thing hitting the toilet is my lifestyle.

60. Hi All I had a surgery in July of 2020 my first 3 months after was a nightmare 8-10 diapers a day, now I’m down to 4 pads in 24 hrs . I have stress incontinence when I’m working or sneezing / coughing etc . I know this can be a huge bummer but we just have to suck it up ! I’m 68 years old and yes I have days I get pissed off ( bad pun) but I’m still skiing , hiking , biking and traveling . I can change a wet pad in a blink of an eye , I have pads in my truck , ski bag
    Pack pack you name it , One thing if like to share with everyone is try K -Boost it has helped me go from 6-7 pads a day to 4 . Look it up on the internet . It is an app with a small/tiny pillow you sit on and do kegels . I use it twice a day I’ve been doing it for 3 months and have improved from 7 pads to 4 .Good luck my friends

61. I am 71 years old. My DaVinci surgery was on July 18, 2023. A year prior, I had a penile implant installed to cure my ED. The penile implant continues to work just fine. I leak when inflating the implant, but not afterwards (long enough for intercourse). Like many here I have incontinence issues. When sitting or laying down, I have excellent control. But when I get up from there, I lose control. Also, little control when lifting anything heavy or chasing after grandkids. I do kegels 2 to 3 times per day — holding the crunch to a count of 70 for 10 repetitions, then doing 20-30 quick kegels.
    I have a friend who had total control after 8 weeks (he claims – Jealous!), and another who is still using pads seven years after his prostate removal.

62. Hello I know how everyone feels. I’m 71 years old. Had prostate cancer at the age of 50. Seed implants and hormone injections, along with 16 weeks of radiation therapy. Have had heart failure and open heart surgery caused by the stress. Neuropathy in both feet and legs. The heart attack was while going through radiation. Had to have a large portion of my colon removed because of over radiation. ED for the past 15 years. No bladder or bowel control. Not a very good way of life , not only for me but my wife doesn’t understand how I feel. She is about to walk out after 40 years of marriage. Prostate cancer sucks .

63. Hi All ,my comment about this site is very interesting reading ,many comments under difficult times been told i have low grade prostate cancer , after TURP procedure .
    I have had my biopsy last week and going tomorrow to check the results praying that the cancer not to agressive .

64. 59 year old. Over the last 3 years, two Urolift’s and a TURP ablative procedure. The ablative procedure has really kicked my incontinence into overdrive. My incontinence is all about an urge to urinate and cramping. I am a lucky man–I have no signs of cancer, and everything seems to be functioning. I am just a month out from the (last) procedure and my goal is to do my Kegels, strengthen my pelvic floor and core, and find something to calm down my spastic muscles that are doing a panic call to empty my bladder when there is no emergency.

65. I am 83 years old, a former Marine, exercise 5 X a week and had a total prostatectomy in 2017. I have had 0.0 PSA readings since my surgery. I had been tracking my PSA for years and noticed about 2013 that it was elevating each year. So, I saw my Urologist in 2016 when my PSA was 6.1. After being informed of the pros/cons of radiation vs a total prostatectomy, I chose the total prostatectomy–I would make that same choice again. I don’t remember what my Gleason score was but 5 of the 12 snippets taken for biopsy were cancerous. My Urologist told me that I had a 2 out of 3 chance of not being incontinent or having ED. He was partially correct. I did the Kagel exercises for a time and they helped with my incontinence; but my incontinence has increased. Now I use approx. 2 women’s Depends #4 liners per day; I may look into an implant for the bladder to help control the incontinence; even though I could live with what I have. I don’t have ED, but my erections are not as firm as before the surgery, but my wife isn’t complaining nor am I. Sometimes I will take a Cialis before, but I find that I don’t need it. For me, red wine or too much alcohol will make me full-on incontinent. I also find that I tend to leak more walking, sitting; and with physical exertion, but I leak very little at night (reclining) and I go to bed about 8:30pm and get up once to urinate about 4-5am and then I’m up at 5:30-6am for the day. I’ve been pleased with my results and knowing what I know now, I would make the same decision re: the surgery.

66. I had DaVinci robotic surgery and they removed my progressive cancerous prostatectomy on May 10th 2923. i had 25 treatments of radiotherapy. My incontinence in the beginning was manageable. But now, 11 months later, now as time goes by it gets worse. I use 1-2 pads a day. I think I have ED but since I’m all alone I wouldn’t know. Although I do get half erections and the urge for sex. Also I do get a lot of burnings every time I urinate, Tomorrow I have an appointment with my Urologist and see where were we are going from here. Wish me luck.

67. I’m over 2 and a half years after radical prostatectomy and my incontinence has never gotten any better. In this time I have only seen the consultant twice, never been able to make an appointment with my GP, had only 2 blood tests and have no idea of my PSA score. If I’m to be honest I wish I had never had the surgery and took my chances with the cancer, I also wish that consultants, nurses, doctors etc, start to be a little more honest with patients and tell them that a very high percentage of men’s incontinence will never improve.

68. Wow , I’m getting to go in for robotic surgery .

    Most of the comments I see are discouraging,regarding incontinence.

    I already suffer from depression and anxiety been taking Prozac for 20 plus years and klonpin .

    I’m 72 years old pretty good health

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.