What will happen?
If you have chosen or been have advised to have a radical prostatectomy, one of the things that may have been mentioned to you is the likelihood of experiencing urinary incontinence post-treatment.
Many of the treatments for prostate cancer can cause problems with urinating (peeing) and leaking urine (urinary incontinence). Most men will have some level of urinary continence immediately following their treatment. Up to 15% (approx 1 in 7) of those men will be left with life-long urinary incontinence 123.
What can I do?
In the following sections we would like to give you some practical tips and advice on what will happen to you in the coming weeks and to help you to prepare for coping with a catheter after surgery and the subsequent bladder leakage that will occur following catheter removal.
• Preparing for bladder leakage Practical tips to help prepare for bladder leakage after surgery.
• Your catheter. Immediately after your surgery and when you return home, you will have a catheter in place. Find out practical advice about how to look after your catheter during this time.
• Catheter removal. You will have a catheter in place for 2-3 weeks to allow healing of your urethra. Find out what will happen at the appointment to have it removed.
• Coping with bladder leakage
When your catheter is first removed, you will probably be unable to control your bladder and will have bladder leakage. Find tips and advice to help you cope with bladder leakage and continence product advice.