Urinary incontinence following transurethral, transvesical and radical prostatectomy. Retrospective study of 489 patients.

Urinary incontinence following prostate surgery was evaluated in 489 consecutive patients: 216 patients underwent a transurethral resection, 98 patients a transvesical prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia and 175 patients a radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. In the first group incontinence was present in 19% of the patients immediately after catheter withdrawal, 16% after 1 month, 8% after 3 months, 3% and 2% after 6 and 9 months, 1.5% after 1 year and 0.5% after 15 months. In the second group incontinence was present in 15% immediately after catheter withdrawal, 12% after 1 month, 5% after 3 months, 2% after 6 months and 1% after 9, 12 and 15 months. In the last group the incontinence rate was higher, 66% were incontinent immediately after catheter withdrawal, 53% after 1 month, 33% after 3 months, 12% after 6 months, 8% after 9 months. After 12 and 15 months still 2% had problems with persistent incontinence. These results compare favourably with the results from the literature. The fact that a rehabilitation program was introduced for the patients with post-operative incontinence, may have been a contributing factor.