Effect of Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation and Biofeedback on the Recovery of Urinary Continence after Radical Prostatectomy

bjective: Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most distressing postoperative problems of radical prostatectomy (RP) and negatively affects the quality of life (QOL). We assessed the effect of pelvic muscle exercises (PME), electrical stimulation (ES) and biofeedback (BFB) on UI after RP. Materials and Methods: 80 patients, who underwent RP, were randomized into three groups. Group I (n=26) received instructions about PME, group II (n=26) received ES and group III (n=28) received ES plus BFB. The treatment was started one week after catheter removal, twice a week for 12 weeks. The evaluation of continence was performed at time 0, 6, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks during follow-up, using the 24-hour pad test and the QOL using the incontinence impact questionnaire -7 (IIQ-7). Results: The mean leakage weight became significantly lower (p<0.05) in group III than in groups II and I starting at 6 weeks until 24 weeks of follow-up. A significant difference (p<0.05) between the groups in terms of percentage of continent patients was achieved from 12 weeks (71.42%, 53.85% and 34.62%) to 24 weeks (96.43%, 76.92% and 65.38%) for groups III, II and I, respectively. Conclusion: Early, noninvasive therapy with ES and BFB has a significant positive effect on the duration and the degree of UI and QOL. Turk J Phys Med Re-hab 2012;58:170-6.