Urinary incontinence refers to an involuntary leakage of urine. There are different types of urinary incontinence, but a common form that can develop after prostate cancer treatment is stress incontinence.
Both radiation therapy and surgery to remove cancerous tumors can result in stress incontinence. While time and physical therapy can sometimes be enough to reduce or eradicate urine leakage, in other cases, surgical measures are needed.
Reconstructive urologist Paul Chung, MD, FACS, and our team in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, perform sling surgery to address mild to moderate stress incontinence after prostate cancer treatment that hasn’t responded to other methods.
In this month’s blog, we discuss why prostate cancer treatments can lead to stress incontinence and how sling surgery restores your urinary function.
After undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, you can be left with a weak sphincter muscle and pelvic floor laxity. This can happen due to damage from radiation therapy or because of prostate removal surgery, which eliminates much-needed bladder support.
You need a strong pelvic floor and sphincter muscle to control your bladder and hold your urine until you reach a restroom. So, if they’re weak and relaxed, any pressure placed around your abdomen puts you at risk for leakage. Forces that can lead to urine leaks include bending over, sneezing, laughing, or lifting heavy objects.
Oftentimes, with stress incontinence, the urine leaks are enough to require you to wear absorbent urinary incontinence pads. This can severely impact your social life and self-esteem.
It’s common to experience stress incontinence for about 12 months after you’ve finished cancer treatments. However, if you don’t see any improvements over time or with pelvic floor therapy, surgery might be a viable option.
When mild stress incontinence hasn’t responded to other treatments, Dr. Chung can perform sling surgery to restore full urinary function.
He uses synthetic mesh material to create a sling that supports your pelvic floor and puts your bladder and urethra back into their original positions. The sling also compresses your sphincter muscle to provide more control over urine flow.
Sling surgery only takes about 45 minutes and is an outpatient procedure, meaning you’ll be able to go home the same day. You need to avoid doing any strenuous activity for about six weeks. In cases of mild stress incontinence, sling surgery is usually effective, with 80% of men reporting they no longer need urinary incontinence pads.
Sling surgery isn’t the first line of treatment for stress incontinence. However, if other treatments haven’t been enough to reduce urine leaks 12 months after completing your prostate cancer treatment plan, sling surgery is a great option, especially if your incontinence is mild.
For treatment of stress incontinence, Dr. Chung is here to help. Schedule an appointment with our team by calling your nearest office location or using our online booking feature today.
