BACKGROUND: In Italy, nurses can use pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) and extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) to treat urinary incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).
The efficacy of these treatments remains unclear.
PURPOSE: To compare PFMEs, ExMI, in the management of post-RRP urinary incontinence.
METHODOLOGY: This study compared PFMEs versus no treatment in reducing bladder continence difficulties, and PFMEs versus ExMI in reducing urine leakage. A total of 87 patients were treated with PFMEs, 23 with ExMI; 22 refused rehabilitation (control group).
FINDINGS: Three months after RRP, both interventions reduced the International Prostate Symptom Score, when compared to control group. After 6 months, no significant differences between the treatments were found (p = .8346). After a complete ExMI treatment (6 weeks), 63.88% lost less than 10 grams of urine per day (32.73% in the PFMEs group, p < .0001).
CONCLUSIONS: PFMEs are useful up to the 3rd month after surgery; ExMI reduces leakages faster than PFMEs.
Written by:
Terzoni S, Montanari E, Mora C, Ricci C, Destrebecq A. Are you the author?
San Paolo Bachelor School of Nursing, San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Reference: Rehabil Nurs. 2013 May-Jun;38(3):153-60.
doi: 10.1002/rnj.72
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23658129
UroToday.com Urinary Incontinence Section
