Single session pre-operative pelvic floor muscle training with biofeedback on urinary incontinence and quality of life after radical prostatectomy: A randomized controlled trial

Purpose: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common complication of radical prostatectomy (RP) affecting patient's quality of life (QoL). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of single-session preoperative pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with biofeedback (BFB) on short- and mid-term postoperative UI and QoL. Materials and Methods: This study was performed between 2018 and 2020. The patients were randomized into two groups: the case group received a training session with BFB, supervised oral and written instructions on pelvic floor muscle exercises in a 1-h-long training session 1 month before the surgery. Patients were asked to regularly perform exercises immediately after the session until surgery. The controls received no instructions. We used the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-UI (ICIQ-UI) short-form and ICIQ-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms QoL Module (ICIQ-LUTSqol) at 1, 3, and 6 months after removing the urinary catheter. Results: A total of 80 patients with a mean age of 63.83 ± 3.61 years were analyzed. Patient characteristics were similar between the groups. The mean ICIQ-UI score was significantly lower in the intervention group at 1 and 3 months after catheter removal (P = 0.01 and P = 0.029, respectively) but similar at 6 months (P = 0.058). The mean ICIQ-LUTSqol score was significantly lower in the intervention group at 1, 3, and 6 months after catheter removal (P < 0.001, P = 0.005, and P = 0.011, respectively). Conclusion: A single session of preoperative PFMT with BFB has significant short-term effects on UI after RP but not at 6 months. However, this intervention can improve LUTS-related QoL even at 6 months after catheter removal.