Prostatectomy: Its Risks and Complications

Incontinence following prostate surgery is common

Male incontinence products can help if you have a prostatectomy. It is common for men to experience problems with incontinence soon after the surgery and in some cases you can deal with it for 3 months after the surgery. A prostatectomy is one of the best procedures used for cancer treatments but it is a surgery that comes with a lot of risk like blood clots and hernias. Speaking to your doctor about a prostatectomy and how you can prepare yourself for it will prevent you from having some of the serious health risks associated with it.

Purchase some compression stockings to wear after the surgery. When you have surgery it is common to have blood clots that develop as you are not moving around as much. With deep vein thrombosis you need to be concerned as the blood is moving slowly and could easily have a blood clot that could break and travel through the body, leading to a heart attack, stroke, or it could even reach the brain and leave you brain dead.

After the procedure it is recommended that you do not lift anything heavy and that you do take it easy. You need to avoid lifting anything that is over 10 pounds or straining yourself as it will lead to a hernia or it could open the incision. You also run the risk of damaging the repair that the surgeon has done like breaking the connection from the urethra to your bladder. Depending upon the way your body responds to the surgery it is likely that you need to take a break from any exercise for about 6 weeks or longer.

Many patients will have a catheter for a week or two after the procedure. If you do not have a catheter it is likely that you will still have issues with urine loss from the body. Consider using some incontinence supplies like a penile pouch or adult diapers in order to capture the urine. This will prevent you from having accidents as you are wearing protection that will promptly remove it from the body. It is also important to keep your body as clean as possible to remove excess urine from the skin. Since you are already at risk for infections, leaving the urine on the skin can increase the risk of infections especially around the incision site. Purchase some wipes that can help you to keep your skin clean and dry so the urine won’t infect the surgical site or cause you to have a urinary tract infection.

Watch this video.  How to choose the right incontinence product.

When the catheter is removed from the body it is usually common for patients to have issues with incontinence. This often occurs until your body is able to restore it’s muscle tone and you can have control over holding in the urine again. In addition to using incontinence products for men you should also look into performing some Kegel exercises as your body starts to heal. Always check with your doctor before you start these exercises as you do not want to hurt any of the work that they have done.

If you have urine loss at night you can use incontinence bed pads to help protect your bedding. For a short while it is a smart idea to have your own bed in case you do have issues with urine loss at night. There are also overnight adult diapers and other products that you can use in order to protect your bedding at night.

If you have light incontinence problems you can purchase some male incontinence products that you can use with your regular underwear. Using just a incontinence pad, you can easily capture any urine that does escape from the body.

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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