Pads and guards

[Mattsmith3134]

I'm 3 weeks out from catheter removal after prostate surgery. I'm trying to find a way to make it through a work day with minimal changes. I still don't have control yet. I do kegel sets and I can interrupt a stream but not stop. Anyway when I combine a diaper with a booster pad it seems like I have even less control. Maybe it's more pressure especially when sitting. Has anyone else experienced this or am I just where I am in my journey

 

[darbas]

I'm 3 weeks out from catheter removal after prostate surgery. I'm trying to find a way to make it through a work day with minimal changes. I still don't have control yet. I do kegel sets and I can interrupt a stream but not stop. Anyway when I combine a diaper with a booster pad it seems like I have even less control. Maybe it's more pressure especially when sitting. Has anyone else experienced this or am I just where I am in my journey

Hi Matt
I am surprised that you have gone back to work so soon after your surgery. My doctor wouldn't allow me back to work for 8 weeks. Anyway, back to your question about pads. As I have now been back to work for 2 week and still leak up to 600 MLS a day at work although only about 100mls at home mostly because I am on my feet all day at work. I was worried about what to use at work as I didn't want to be changing pads all day so I opted for an external catheter and leg bag. It comfortable and not noticeable and I don't worry about changing pads. I am a tradesman and very active at work and have not dislodge it yet but do wear an absorbent pad just in case but it is only a thin pad. This certainly takes away the worry and anxiety of the situation. Good luck with you recovery as I too have found this forum very helpful and supporting

 

[sandiego]

Matt, I use both diaper and pads. I have zero control when standing or sitting. I find no difference with just a diaper.

Darbas, "8 weeks"?! My doc wanted me up and about the day after surgery. But i am not a tradesman who uses their body to lift and such. "External catheter"!? Wow! You are much more tolerant of the discomfort of having a catheter in than i was. Just having it in for a week was brutal. Every time i moved, it dug into sensitive nerves. When it came out, i was so relieved. BUT... the pads and diaper tether me to the bathroom so i understand not wanting to have that on the job. I easily go thru 10 to 20 pads a day. Just depends on how wet i want to be.

My BIG question to both of you is, why are you incontinent? My surgeon assured me that only about 3% of men experience incontinence after a prostatectomy which (the more i research) seems like a complete lie. Was the involuntary sphincter removed from you when your prostate was removed?

 

[darbas]

Matt, I use both diaper and pads. I have zero control when standing or sitting. I find no difference with just a diaper.

Darbas, "8 weeks"?! My doc wanted me up and about the day after surgery. But i am not a tradesman who uses their body to lift and such. "External catheter"!? Wow! You are much more tolerant of the discomfort of having a catheter in than i was. Just having it in for a week was brutal. Every time i moved, it dug into sensitive nerves. When it came out, i was so relieved. BUT... the pads and diaper tether me to the bathroom so i understand not wanting to have that on the job. I easily go thru 10 to 20 pads a day. Just depends on how wet i want to be.

My BIG question to both of you is, why are you incontinent? My surgeon assured me that only about 3% of men experience incontinence after a prostatectomy which (the more i research) seems like a complete lie. Was the involuntary sphincter removed from you when your prostate was removed?

Hi Sandiego
First off, I think you doctor was giving misinformation on prostrate removal it is more likely only 3% don't have incontinence after surgery. I was informed majority of Men will be incontinent to various degree and can take up to 12 months to come good depending on the individual. Mind you I was told if you have a high PSA you are likely to have cancer, and a low reading was good, but my reading was .8 every time I was tested but this time other test showed I had cancer. As for the external catheter it is not inserted in your penis but goes over it like a condom but with a tube connected at the end which then connects to the bag. It is held in place with a Velcro strip around the penis (the ones I buy supply a self-adhesive strip which I found come of when you start to sweat). I don't even know I am wearing it most of the time but after work I just use a pad as I don't leak much then. During my 8 weeks off from work I would walk every day from 2-5 ks a day and on occasion even further so I wasn't couch bound all that time. I am 69 but still do alot of physical work which I can still run rings around the younger guys I work with.

 

[sandiego]

Matt, I use both diaper and pads. I have zero control when standing or sitting. I find no difference with just a diaper.

Darbas, "8 weeks"?! My doc wanted me up and about the day after surgery. But i am not a tradesman who uses their body to lift and such. "External catheter"!? Wow! You are much more tolerant of the discomfort of having a catheter in than i was. Just having it in for a week was brutal. Every time i moved, it dug into sensitive nerves. When it came out, i was so relieved. BUT... the pads and diaper tether me to the bathroom so i understand not wanting to have that on the job. I easily go thru 10 to 20 pads a day. Just depends on how wet i want to be.

My BIG question to both of you is, why are you incontinent? My surgeon assured me that only about 3% of men experience incontinence after a prostatectomy which (the more i research) seems like a complete lie. Was the involuntary sphincter removed from you when your prostate was removed?

Hi Sandiego
First off, I think you doctor was giving misinformation on prostrate removal it is more likely only 3% don't have incontinence after surgery. I was informed majority of Men will be incontinent to various degree and can take up to 12 months to come good depending on the individual. Mind you I was told if you have a high PSA you are likely to have cancer, and a low reading was good, but my reading was .8 every time I was tested but this time other test showed I had cancer. As for the external catheter it is not inserted in your penis but goes over it like a condom but with a tube connected at the end which then connects to the bag. It is held in place with a Velcro strip around the penis (the ones I buy supply a self-adhesive strip which I found come of when you start to sweat). I don't even know I am wearing it most of the time but after work I just use a pad as I don't leak much then. During my 8 weeks off from work I would walk every day from 2-5 ks a day and on occasion even further so I wasn't couch bound all that time. I am 69 but still do alot of physical work which I can still run rings around the younger guys I work with.

Darbas, I asked Google about the percentage and the official line seems to be that only 6 to 8% experience incontinence...which seems contrary to what you and i think or believe. My question for anyone who is incontinent like me is this, "Was the involuntary sphincter removed?" I meet with my surgeon next week and I'll be putting that question to him about me because i have no idea if it was. I'm wondering if its removal guarantees incontinence. Have the patients who have not experienced incontinence not had their involuntary sphincter removed? Googling the removal of the involuntary sphincter comes up with 2 answers. One, it is always removed. Two, it is only sometimes removed. The condom catheter is new info for me. I'll have to look into that. Thanks.

 

[MichaelDahlke]

Hi Sandiego,

The internal sphincter is part of the bladder neck that merges into the prostate. With a complete removal of the prostate, this muscle is almost always affected. However, the internal sphincter has only an indirect influence on continence. Its main task is to prevent ejaculate from entering the bladder during ejaculation.

Therefore, a retrograde ejaculation is a common side effect of radical prostate removal. However, the problem of incontinence has another cause. The prostate functions as a constriction and acts as a pressure reducer. The larger it becomes, the less the actual sphincter has to work against the pressure. As a result, it loses strength, similar to any other muscle that is not trained.

When the prostate is removed, the sphincter is suddenly exposed to full bladder pressure. He can no longer hold this pressure because he lacks the strength to do so. This strength must first be rebuilt, which can take some time, depending on the endurance and effectiveness of the training.

If a radical prostate operation is imminent, it is advisable to start training in advance. This can shorten the duration of incontinence after surgery.

Caution is advised when interpreting the numbers mentioned. After a radical prostate operation, almost everyone is initially incontinent. However, targeted training significantly improves incontinence. After one year, only 3-10% of those affected have a continence problem. If the problem persists, for example, an artificial sphincter can help.

cu
Michael

 

[darbas]

Matt, I use both diaper and pads. I have zero control when standing or sitting. I find no difference with just a diaper.

Darbas, "8 weeks"?! My doc wanted me up and about the day after surgery. But i am not a tradesman who uses their body to lift and such. "External catheter"!? Wow! You are much more tolerant of the discomfort of having a catheter in than i was. Just having it in for a week was brutal. Every time i moved, it dug into sensitive nerves. When it came out, i was so relieved. BUT... the pads and diaper tether me to the bathroom so i understand not wanting to have that on the job. I easily go thru 10 to 20 pads a day. Just depends on how wet i want to be.

My BIG question to both of you is, why are you incontinent? My surgeon assured me that only about 3% of men experience incontinence after a prostatectomy which (the more i research) seems like a complete lie. Was the involuntary sphincter removed from you when your prostate was removed?

Darbas, I asked Google about the percentage and the official line seems to be that only 6 to 8% experience incontinence...which seems contrary to what you and i think or believe. My question for anyone who is incontinent like me is this, "Was the involuntary sphincter removed?" I meet with my surgeon next week and I'll be putting that question to him about me because i have no idea if it was. I'm wondering if its removal guarantees incontinence. Have the patients who have not experienced incontinence not had their involuntary sphincter removed? Googling the removal of the involuntary sphincter comes up with 2 answers. One, it is always removed. Two, it is only sometimes removed. The condom catheter is new info for me. I'll have to look into that. Thanks.

Sandiego
Maybe the percentage of incontinence was related to long term incontinence not immediately after surgery like the majority of us are. And no my sphincter wasn't touched just the bladder where the urethra was reattached.

 

[joe64]

Hi Sandiego,

The internal sphincter is part of the bladder neck that merges into the prostate. With a complete removal of the prostate, this muscle is almost always affected. However, the internal sphincter has only an indirect influence on continence. Its main task is to prevent ejaculate from entering the bladder during ejaculation.

Therefore, a retrograde ejaculation is a common side effect of radical prostate removal. However, the problem of incontinence has another cause. The prostate functions as a constriction and acts as a pressure reducer. The larger it becomes, the less the actual sphincter has to work against the pressure. As a result, it loses strength, similar to any other muscle that is not trained.

When the prostate is removed, the sphincter is suddenly exposed to full bladder pressure. He can no longer hold this pressure because he lacks the strength to do so. This strength must first be rebuilt, which can take some time, depending on the endurance and effectiveness of the training.

If a radical prostate operation is imminent, it is advisable to start training in advance. This can shorten the duration of incontinence after surgery.

Caution is advised when interpreting the numbers mentioned. After a radical prostate operation, almost everyone is initially incontinent. However, targeted training significantly improves incontinence. After one year, only 3-10% of those affected have a continence problem. If the problem persists, for example, an artificial sphincter can help.

cu
Michael

Outstanding explanation. Thank you. What you have said makes it clear why when I get aroused, I sometimes get a little spurt of pee.