This study from the University of Texas Southwestern, in the journal Urology, raises awareness of the still so taboo aspect of incontinence, especially among men. Men tolerate their stress incontinence for years before deciding to seek help, writes the author, urologist, in his press release. The authors also point out, in response to these patients, the broad spectrum of surgical, therapeutic and palliative options available today, which make it possible to restore a certain level of continence and quality of life.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when physical activity or exertion — such as coughing, moving heavy objects, or certain types of exercise — causes urine to leak. This form of incontinence particularly affects many men who have undergone prostate cancer treatment involving prostatectomy. Male SUI is rarer, but has significant negative psychosocial and emotional effects and is a common factor in post-operative anxiety and depression, says lead author Dr. Allen Morey (bottom image), professor of urology at UT Southwestern.
More than two years is indeed the average time observed in these patients , during which they endure stress urinary incontinence before going to seek medical help. One in three men will even wait for more than five years. To reach these conclusions, the UT Southwestern team followed 572 men evaluated for "anti-incontinence" surgery between 2007 and 2017. Patients aged 80 and over will even wait 7 years or more before consulting. …
Prostatectomy and incontinence:in these participants, restoration of urinary control occurs, on average, within the first 12 months after prostatectomy. Beyond a year, improvement is unlikely, say the authors. Care must then follow urologist-directed treatment plans that will manage non-cancerous conditions such as incontinence. Some treatment delays are also related to patients' reluctance to undergo further surgery or lack of access to suitable specialists. The authors therefore suggest that clinicians spontaneously ask about the incidence of these disorders in their older patients. But how ? The author invites general practitioners and urologists to give their patients a standing cough test,
The goal here is to raise awareness that effective and safe treatments exist for men with stress urinary incontinence, but also to facilitate immediate and accurate diagnosis in patients with stress urinary incontinence. The authors thus recall the existence of new diagnostic techniques which make it possible to rationalize with precision treatment recommendations and the whole panoply of surgical, therapeutic and palliative options accessible to men today. Whose,
- “minor” surgeries which can either help stimulate a weakened sphincter muscle for patients with minimal leakage or completely replace the muscular sphincter (installation of an artificial urinary sphincter);
- botulinum toxin injection for neurogenic bladder dysfunction,
- electrical stimulation,
- behavioral therapy,
- biofeedback,
- certain drug therapies,
- pelvic muscle exercises,
- and of course, the protections for men (ex: TENA MEN ) which have progressed a lot and which are perfectly adapted to the male anatomy and to the importance and frequency of leaks, making it possible to gain considerably in safety and quality of life.
