Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer. One of the treatment options for prostate cancer is radical prostatectomy which involves complete removal of the prostate. Most cases (approximately 85%) experience some degree of incontinence following the operation. This can have a significant effect on your quality of life if it is not managed well following surgery. However we can help you prevent this. A structured and tailored pelvic floor program before and after surgery acclerates your time to achieve continence (become dry) post surgery and decreases the risk of severe and ongoing leaking. It also helps restore erectile function.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), where excess prostate tissue is removed through the urethra using a resectoscope. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in aiding recovery by focusing on pelvic floor muscle exercises and bladder training. These exercises help improve bladder control, reduce urinary incontinence, and promote overall pelvic health. Physiotherapists also provide guidance on lifestyle modifications and techniques to alleviate any discomfort or pain, supporting the patient in achieving optimal recovery and restoring normal urinary function.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

It is standard procedure for our physiotherapists to begin individualised pelvic floor rehabilitation before surgery when possible and to use an accelerated pelvic floor rehabilitation program following prostate surgery. This has been proven to improve quality of life sooner than those who wait for a spontaneous recovery.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation is taught using real-time ultrasound. This is so we can ensure you are using the right muscles and allows men to visualise the correct contraction of the pelvic floor for effective rehabilitation. High quality contractions are more likely to produce better outcomes and each program will be tailored to an individuals circumstances to assist them with getting back to normal life sooner.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation involves:

• Initial assessment – around 4-6 weeks before your prostate surgery, you will meet with your physiotherapist to assess and plan for surgery.
• Ultrasound – to see how strong your pelvic floor already is. This usually takes around 10 minutes and is a painless procedure
• Pelvic floor muscle exercises before treatment – a personalised program of exercises to help you strengthen your pelvic floor before your surgery. This may include exercises several times a day while sitting, standing and lying
• Ultrasound after surgery – you’ll have another ultrasound to review your pelvic floor function (after surgery, you’ll have a catheter for a short period of time; you can gently start your pelvic floor exercises when your catheter is removed)
• Pelvic floor exercises after treatment – you’ll continue with your pelvic floor exercises several times a day, guided by your physiotherapist
• Ongoing physiotherapy sessions – you may have sessions every two to three weeks for a few months after your surgery, but your sessions will gradually become less frequent over time.