The treatment of patients with urinary incontinence after prostatectomy.

Seventy-seven patients were treated for incontinence after prostatectomy for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Forty-six patients had detrusor instability and 28 had stable bladders. No cause for the incontinence was found in 3 patients. The majority of the group had sphincter damage (74%). Conservative treatment other than drugs was all that was required in 22 patients, but drugs such as Eskornade, imipramine or emepronium were used in a further 19. Some symptomatic improvement occurred in 53% of these 19 patients. Surgery was required in 38 cases (relief of obstruction endoscopically in 11, insertion of prosthetic devices in 27). Endoscopic treatment rarely effected a cure, but the results with prostheses were satisfactory, a cure or improvement occurring in 65% of the patients, with a low complication rate.