How long will incontinence last after prostate cancer treatment?

Posted by dtalle @dtalle, Apr 30, 2023

I just had prostate removal surgery, removal of previous scar tissue from an abdominal surgery and repair of a hernia. My question is how long will the incontinence last?

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@dtalle

Thank you for your encouragement and I understand you’re in ability to not gain four continents. I religiously do my Keagle exercises and are now starting to feel that they help. I will continue with a positive attitude and thanks to people like you could give me my encouragement. Stay well and healthy and continue to do whatever makes you happy.

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Myy husband is five months out post surgery for removal of the prostate. He is 78. He is down to changing the pad once a day. He has to pee every 2 to 3 hours or it starts to leak a little. He was told 9 months to regain continence so we are patient and it improved greatly at about four months. He does not have a sensation of needing to go he just has to be proactive. His PSA is great .1 so we are grateful he chose surgery and did not have to have the hormone therapy.

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I had a Prostatectomy in 2006. I was using 2 large pads a day. Went in for the “ Sling “ Sugery. Now I’m on one medium pad a day. Also had radiation treatments for a recurrence in 2013. I’m am still leaking and have frequent urges.

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I had prostrate. surgery in 1969 I had incontence then. had radiation in 1969 7 weeks 5 days. Here it is 2023 still have incontence, heavy. Have to go to the bath room every 2 or 3 hours.

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Was continent after prostate removal but then developed scar tissue. This was removed and I became totally incontinent. I then had to use external catheters, which was a real hassle.
Ultimately had a AUS device installed and that has worked well. No more diapers but I still wear one light pad a day for occasional minor leakage.

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@w7dca

Was continent after prostate removal but then developed scar tissue. This was removed and I became totally incontinent. I then had to use external catheters, which was a real hassle.
Ultimately had a AUS device installed and that has worked well. No more diapers but I still wear one light pad a day for occasional minor leakage.

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Congratulations on your AUS implementation. I am eight weeks post prostrate removal, however it also included hernia repair and removal of previous scar tissue from a colostomy and abdominal surgery. Even after eight weeks I am no near Continent relief. I am doing my Cagle‘s I am going to PT therapy once a week and I wear an augmented wash cloths with my pull-ups. The wash cloths need to be changed on an average of every two hours. This makes it very hard to leave home running length of time. To top this off they’ve already started me on Lupron and a hormone pill. Then in six weeks they want to start me on radiation. I’ll tall this is very frustrating not to have any signs of healing and continent control at this point. If anyone else has been or is in this domain I would appreciate hearing from you to see what success you’ve had or what I should expect.

God bless and cheers to everyone and may your health continue.

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I had surgery ten years ago and still use a light pad and change it 2-3 times a day. If I am working bending over, I put on a heavy pad. I consider myself continent but have a valve that doesn't shut off completely. Hey guys, living is great not worrying about the cancer.

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@ssonkin

Unfortunately, there are too many unknown variables for anybody, with the possible exception of your surgeon, to predict how soon and to what extent you will regain continence. I hope that your experience mirrors that of the previous poster, but even if you faithfully and correctly performed Kegel pelvic floor excercises before surgery and after the removal of the catheter, there is no way to guarantee your progress. I say all of this not to discourage you, but to provide you with some context that will help avoid disappointment and discouragement if things progress slowly. In my case, I was diligent with my pelvic floor exercises, my surgeon assured me that everything indicated that I should be able to achieve full continence, but 18 months later I still need a very light Tena Shield for everyday activities, a slightly heavier pad for my 3-6 mile runs and no protection overnight. To get to this point I first started with the pull-ups for a few weeks and gradually moved to lighter pads over time. It was tough not to get discouraged at times, and ultimately I've had to give up my hope that I would regain full continence. That said, I've adjusted to this new reality, and it hasn't changed my life in any significant way. If you read posts from others, you will find some like the previous poster who pulled out the catheter and were good to go, some who lost all continence, and most who are like me and are somewhere in between those two extremes.
Good luck and stay positive!

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I posted this nearly 2 years ago, and today someone responded to it. That gave me an opportunity to revisit the issue, and so I would like to provide what I believe is an encouraging update. Two years ago, I still needed a light shield (I prefer the Tena Shields) for everyday activities and a heavier pad for running. Now I no longer need the shield for everyday activities, but I do still need the pad for running. Upon occasion I will have a very minor leak from everyday activities, but it rarely is more than a slight drop or two of urine and is generally well confined by my underwear. Nevertheless, if I'm going to be someplace where a minor leak could be embarassing I will put a light pad in my underwear. Over 90% of the time, the pad is perferctly dry when I return home.
I have continued to do Kegels pretty much every day - I probably miss a few days per month for a variety of reasons. Will I continue to improve now that I'm over 3 years post surgery? Maybe, but probably not. Nevertheless, I'm happy to be cancer free and don't find my imperfect continence to be problmatic.

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