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Bladder Leakage After Prostate Cancer
After prostate cancer treatment, your bladder may leak anywhere from a few drops of urine to uncontrolled streams. Leakage typically tapers off within several weeks or months with most patients regaining bladder control within a year.
Persistent stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when bladder control is not regained and urine persistently leaks out during activities such as exercise, sneezing, laughing or coughing. Severe SUI may lead to leakage during simple activities such as walking or bending over. Urinary "accidents" can range from a few drops of urine to enough to soak through your clothes. Approximately 1 in 10 men who have recovered from prostate cancer still deal with persistent SUI.
Management options
For mild bladder leakage after prostate cancer:
- Absorbent pads
- Adult diapers
- Catheter collection device
- Penile clamp
- Pelvic floor physical therapy
- Kegel exercises
For moderate bladder leakage after prostate cancer:
- Injections or bulking agents
- Male sling
- Intended to support the urethra
- Intended to prevent leaks when coughing, laughing and sneezing
- Most patients can be continent immediately following the procedure
For persistent bladder leakage after prostate cancer:
- Artificial urinary sphincter (AUS)
- 3 components: Urethral cuff, pressure regulating balloon and control pump in the scrotum
- Mimics function of healthy urinary sphincter
- Deflate cuff when you need to urinate
- Automatically re-inflates to close off the urethra, preventing leakage