Incontinence After Prostate Surgery: A Practical Guide for Men
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The first appointment nobody warns you about
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says 7 to 10 days is the average length of time you will need an indwelling urinary catheter after surgery. What nobody quite prepares you for is the walk back to the car once it comes out, and the question that follows you home: how much of this is normal, and how long does it go on for?
Incontinence after prostate surgery gets covered properly in the consultation room and then goes quiet the moment you leave it. Your surgeon and your continence nurse handle the clinical side. The layer that gets left out is the practical one: how to size a product, and what to stop using once things settle. That's the gap this article fills. For the wider picture of daily life with bladder leakage, our Living Well with Incontinence hub is the place to start.
One thing worth saying before anything else: leaking urine after prostate removal is a common part of recovery.
How long does incontinence after prostate surgery last?
Leakage after prostate surgery is a common part of recovery and usually improves over time. Continence Health Australia states that most men regain bladder control within 6 to 12 months. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia notes that for some men it stops after a few weeks or months, while others may experience issues on a longer-term basis.
Beyond that, there is no fixed timetable for how long incontinence lasts after prostate surgery. On urinary incontinence after prostatectomy specifically, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says recent Australian patient reported outcomes suggest around one third of men need to use one or more pads per day 12 months after radical prostatectomy.
What it means in practice is to plan for change rather than plan for an end date. Buy small quantities early and reassess as things change. A large supply bought in the first days can leave you with a cupboard full of product that no longer suits you.
Why bladder control after prostate surgery changes
Continence Health Australia explains that surgery may affect the muscles that help control urine flow, including the bladder neck sphincter, and that these muscles play a key role in holding and releasing urine.
If what you're noticing is a leak on a cough, a lift, or standing up out of a chair, that pattern has a name. Our guide to stress incontinence and how to manage it covers the mechanics properly, so there's no point repeating them here.
Product formats worth knowing about
Product formats suit different volumes, different levels of mobility and different levels of hand dexterity. The mismatch, not the product, is what people ring us about.
Booster pads get overlooked. A booster is a slim pad worn inside a pull-up or a slip to add capacity, never on its own. It is not an obvious product on a shelf, and men tell us they only found out it existed because someone mentioned it. Our article on booster pads explains how to use them.
Comfort First does not currently make a male guard or a drip collector. For light shaped pads for men after prostate surgery, you'll be looking elsewhere in the market, and we would rather say that plainly than push you towards the wrong product.
Mobility and dexterity change the answer
Pull-up pants suit men who are mobile and managing their own toileting. They go on and off like underwear. Slips, sometimes called wraparounds, fasten at the sides and suit men with limited mobility or those who have someone helping them.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia describes pads worn with firm-fitting underwear, not boxer shorts, as an effective first choice. Pull-up pants are another option if you would rather have something that goes on like underwear.
Sizing: waist measurement, not guesswork
Comfort First pull-up pants and slips size by waist measurement. Not trouser size, not what you wore last year. Our sizing guide shows how to measure.
| Format | Size | Waist range |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-up pants | M | 60 to 120cm |
| Pull-up pants | L | 65 to 140cm |
| Pull-up pants | XL | 70 to 160cm |
| Pull-up pants | XXL | 85 to 180cm |
| Slips | S | 60 to 115cm |
| Slips | M | 78 to 125cm |
| Slips | L | 96 to 150cm |
| Slips | XL | 108 to 180cm |
Where you fall between two sizes, try the smaller one first.
Fit for men has enough detail in it to warrant its own article, and it has one: incontinence pants for men, sizing, fit and options goes through the fit checks properly.
Pelvic floor training
Pads manage the leak. Continence Health Australia says daily pelvic floor exercises can make the pelvic floor muscles stronger.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia recommends seeing a men's health pelvic floor physiotherapist before surgery, where there is time, so you can practise the exercises and build the muscle memory before you need it. It describes pelvic floor exercises as exercises all adults should be doing, but especially important after radical prostatectomy. If your surgery has already happened, ask your treating team when to start.
Technique is the whole game here, and technique is not something to learn from an article. Our pelvic floor exercises guide covers the how, and a referral to a men's health physiotherapist covers it better again. Ask your GP or your urology nurse for a name.
Nights
Our article on managing incontinence at night covers the routines, the fluid timing and the bed protection options in the detail they deserve.
Devices you might hear about
Two other categories come up in conversation with other men, so they are worth naming.
Penile clamps are external devices that apply pressure to close the urethra. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says they should only be used temporarily, as prolonged use can cause discomfort. They are not something to start on your own, and they need a clinician's assessment first.
Sheath or condom drainage systems fit over the penis and drain into a leg bag. They suit some men and not others.
Comfort First sells neither, so this is information rather than a recommendation. If you want to explore either one, that conversation belongs with a continence nurse or your urologist, who can assess whether it suits you. Our guide to finding and working with a continence nurse explains how to get that appointment.
When to stop waiting and talk to your doctor
Recovery is not a straight line, and a bad week does not mean a bad outcome. Some things, though, are worth a phone call rather than a wait-and-see.
- Suddenly not being able to pass urine. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says that if you suddenly find you can't urinate, seek medical attention right away, because acute urinary retention can be dangerous.
- Pain when passing urine, or pain low in the abdomen.
- Blood in the urine. healthdirect advises seeing your doctor straight away if you notice bright red blood in your urine, or if your urine has turned pink, red or brown. If there is a lot of blood, or there are clots, that is an ambulance call on triple zero.
- Signs of a urinary tract infection. healthdirect says that if you have a UTI you may have pain, stinging or a burning feeling when urinating, have smelly or cloudy urine, or feel the need to pass urine frequently.
- Leakage that is stopping you doing the things you want to do. That is a clinical problem too, and there are more options than you may have been offered.
The National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 is free, funded by the Australian Government, and staffed by nurse continence specialists. The nurse can tell you whether what you are describing warrants an appointment.
Help with the cost of products
If leakage continues long term, help with the cost of products may be available through more than one scheme, depending on your circumstances.
The Continence Aids Payment Scheme is an Australian Government scheme for people with permanent and severe incontinence, and it is paid through Services Australia. Our complete guide to CAPS explains eligibility and the application process.
If you are a veteran, the Department of Veterans' Affairs Rehabilitation Appliances Program may cover continence products. Our guide to DVA RAP continence products walks through how that works.
Eligibility criteria apply to both. Services Australia says you can't get paid under CAPS if you have an NDIS funding package that includes continence support. Check with the scheme rather than with a supplier.
Where to go from here
Incontinence after prostate surgery is common, it is a recognised part of recovery, and Continence Health Australia's position is that most men regain bladder control within 6 to 12 months. That is worth hearing plainly, because the silence around it leaves men assuming they are the exception.
Two conversations are worth having soon. One with your GP or urology nurse about how your recovery is tracking. One with a men's health physiotherapist about your pelvic floor technique, once your treating team says it is time to start, whether or not you think you already know it. The National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 is there if you would rather start with a nurse than a waiting room.
If you want to try the Comfort First range of pull-up pants, slips and boosters, new customers can ask for a free sample pack to check fit before buying, and one of our team then gets in touch once, by phone or email, whichever you choose on the form.