EFFECT ON QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER PROSTATECTOMY

THE EFFECT OF PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES ON URINARY INCONTINENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER PROSTATECTOMY

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of pelvic floor exercises (PTE) on urinary incontinence and quality of life (QOL) after radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods: This randomized controlled, single-blind, experimental study was completed with a total of 33 RP patients, 18 of whom were interventions, and 15 were controls. The intervention group was given pelvic floor exercises (PTE) training in the preoperative period, regular PTE was performed three times a day for six months in the postoperative period, and the continuity of the exercises was checked by telephone. On the other hand, no intervention was applied to the control group other than routine treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being literate,
• Having the mental competence to understand the questions,
• Radical prostatectomy was performed due to the diagnosis of localized prostate cancer,
• Continuing post-operative follow-up,
• No incontinence problem before surgery,
• Anatomically free of genito-urinary system pathology,
• Those who volunteered to participate in the study were recruited.

Exclusion Criteria:

- With bladder insufficiency (dysfunction),

• Individuals with a different type of incontinence problem such as stress incontinence, neurogenic bladder were not included in the study.