1. < Prostate Cancer

leakage after catheter removal

Posted by love06092025 @love06092025, Mar 30 6:33pm

My husband had his surgery on 2/28 /2024 and catheter removal on 3/10. He went to a pelvic floor therapist prior to his surgery and started doing kegels twice a day for about a month prior to the surgery. He has since returned to the pelvic floor therapist and has continued doing the kegels twice a day. He is dry during the night, little to NO leakage. When he remembers to do a kegel as he gets up from sitting or sits down or bends down, he can control the leakage. However, if he is standing or walking, he can tell that he is leaking. I asked his pelvic floor therapist if my husband should be doing more kegels, like doing them 3 times a day instead of 2 but he says "no." Prior to the surgery my husband was taking myrbetriq for urinary frequency but his surgeon and also his urologist told him to see how it goes without the myrbetriq and if he wants, he can go back on it. I am wondering if the myrbetriq would HELP control the leakage. Or maybe it is too early to tell? Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

jeffMar | @jeffmarc | Mar 30 7:02pm

15 years after surgery and 12 years after radiation I’m having some leakag, started about 6 years ago and has gotten a little worse over time. Started taking Myrbetriq About four months ago. It has helped a lot. The longer I’ve been on it the more it helps.

Your husband is real early in his post surgery time, it is likely the problem will get better over the next few months without doing anything.

REPLY
love06092025 | @love06092025 | Mar 30 7:31pm

Thank you for your response! I will keep that in mind about the myrbetriq!

REPLY
retireditguy | @retireditguy | Mar 30 9:57pm

I certainly don't know for sure, but that said I agree with @jeffmarc and his care team. Before surgery my surgeon told me I had a 90% chance of being continent at 1 year. I actually got lucky and was immediately continent, but I still have a few leakage accidents during the first 3 months or so as my brain adjusted to the new normal. At 9 months I no longer have any accidents at all plus I've regained my confidence. Based on my surgeons answer being framed at "1 year" and my personal experience, I think it takes a while to adjust to the new normal for most guys so I think your surgeon and urologist gave some reasonable advice. I'm not a medical professional so this is just my 2 bit opinion. Best wishes.

REPLY
1 reply
tomf | @tomf | Mar 31 6:56am

I can't find where I posted my situation before so I will repeat it in a Reader's Digest version. At the age of 70 I had RALP in Feb. 2023. Prior to it, a pelvic floor specialist put me through tests and said those muscles were in good shape. Post surgery, I never had urge incontinence, but had a lot of stress incontinence, more than one pad per day when doing anything active. I was doing kegels, but not core strengthening exercises. 6 months later, I requested a referral to a pelvic floor therapist whose exercises made things improve to 80% continence. Time and continued exercise (on my own at home) brought that to 90% dry, and I plateaued there. My doctor felt that was as much healing as I would get on my own. One light pad per day. On the second anniversary of the initial prostatectomy, I elected to have a male urinary sling implanted. Six weeks later, I am 99.9% dry. The .1% problems now center around immediate post-voiding drips, but for the most part I am back to where I was. These last two years remind me of hearing about lottery winners on the news but you never hear about the millions of ticket buyers who lost. Post surgery recovery is like a lottery. Prostatectomies cause more incontinence than doctors admit to, I am convinced. But we hear from the patients who are dry almost instantaneously and wonder what we did wrong. Just have your husband keep trying, and if his exercises aren't also working on his core, his progress will likely be limited. Good luck. And go to the National Association for Continence website and read from other men who are in his shoes.

REPLY
1 reply
love06092025 | @love06092025 | Mar 31 7:53am
In reply to @retireditguy "I certainly don't know for sure, but that said I agree with @jeffmarc and his care..." + (show)
@retireditguy

I certainly don't know for sure, but that said I agree with @jeffmarc and his care team. Before surgery my surgeon told me I had a 90% chance of being continent at 1 year. I actually got lucky and was immediately continent, but I still have a few leakage accidents during the first 3 months or so as my brain adjusted to the new normal. At 9 months I no longer have any accidents at all plus I've regained my confidence. Based on my surgeons answer being framed at "1 year" and my personal experience, I think it takes a while to adjust to the new normal for most guys so I think your surgeon and urologist gave some reasonable advice. I'm not a medical professional so this is just my 2 bit opinion. Best wishes.

Jump to this post

Thank you for your response! I appreciate it!

REPLY
love06092025 | @love06092025 | Mar 31 7:56am
In reply to @tomf "I can't find where I posted my situation before so I will repeat it in a..." + (show)
@tomf

I can't find where I posted my situation before so I will repeat it in a Reader's Digest version. At the age of 70 I had RALP in Feb. 2023. Prior to it, a pelvic floor specialist put me through tests and said those muscles were in good shape. Post surgery, I never had urge incontinence, but had a lot of stress incontinence, more than one pad per day when doing anything active. I was doing kegels, but not core strengthening exercises. 6 months later, I requested a referral to a pelvic floor therapist whose exercises made things improve to 80% continence. Time and continued exercise (on my own at home) brought that to 90% dry, and I plateaued there. My doctor felt that was as much healing as I would get on my own. One light pad per day. On the second anniversary of the initial prostatectomy, I elected to have a male urinary sling implanted. Six weeks later, I am 99.9% dry. The .1% problems now center around immediate post-voiding drips, but for the most part I am back to where I was. These last two years remind me of hearing about lottery winners on the news but you never hear about the millions of ticket buyers who lost. Post surgery recovery is like a lottery. Prostatectomies cause more incontinence than doctors admit to, I am convinced. But we hear from the patients who are dry almost instantaneously and wonder what we did wrong. Just have your husband keep trying, and if his exercises aren't also working on his core, his progress will likely be limited. Good luck. And go to the National Association for Continence website and read from other men who are in his shoes.

Jump to this post

Since he had his surgery on 2/28 and catheter removed on 3/10 my husband feels like it might be too early for abs…he is going to double check with his dr regarding how long he needs to wait before doing abs..that plus now his urine has a blood tint to it.. thank you for getting back to me on this!!

REPLY
tomf | @tomf | Mar 31 8:41am

You are absolutely right about timing. I did nothing for 6 weeks at first and only gradually got back into things after that. My core exercises didn't even start until 8 months after the operation. Slow and steady wins the race.

REPLY
1 reply
edinmaryland | @edinmaryland | Mar 31 10:00am

I agree i am in a similar boat
had my surgery Jan 15 and catheter removed two weeks later.
Despite everyone being different. my doctor and others have told me quite a few make a turn for the better around 3-4 months.
I know this is not going to happen for everyone but I can tell that I am making progress and it has only been a little over two months

REPLY
love06092025 | @love06092025 | Mar 31 6:51pm

That is great news! Happy to hear you are progressing that quickly! Thank you for your response! It is encouraging!

REPLY
love06092025 | @love06092025 | Mar 31 6:52pm
In reply to @tomf "You are absolutely right about timing. I did nothing for 6 weeks at first and only..." + (show)
@tomf

You are absolutely right about timing. I did nothing for 6 weeks at first and only gradually got back into things after that. My core exercises didn't even start until 8 months after the operation. Slow and steady wins the race.

Jump to this post

Okay - we will be patient then. I do not want to cause any complications! My husband has been through enough already! Thank you for your response!

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.