Frequently asked questions about bladder leakage in men

Urinary incontinence is the unintentional loss of urine. There are three common types of incontinence:^1,2

• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI): leakage during actions — such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, and lifting — that put abdominal pressure on the bladder

• Urge incontinence, also known as Overactive Bladder, (OAB): an overwhelming need to urinate (gotta go, gotta go!) that may prevent reaching the toilet in time

• Mixed incontinence: symptoms of both urge and stress incontinence 

Both men and women can experience SUI, though it is more common in women.³ However, approximately 1 out of every 10 men experience urinary leakage at some time in their lives.⁴ For men, SUI can be a common side effect of a urological procedure, pelvic trauma, or condition affecting nerve functionality.⁵ Men may experience SUI after prostate cancer treatment and surgical treatment for an enlarged prostate (BPH). In addition, SUI can occur in patients with neurological conditions such as spina bifida.⁵

When you leak any urine during physical movement or activity, you may have stress urinary incontinence (SUI). When SUI symptoms are mild, you may have leakage during rigorous activity such as playing sports or exercising, or when you sneeze, laugh, cough, or lift something. If you have moderate or severe incontinence, you may leak urine even with low-impact movement such as standing up, walking, or bending over.

Bladder leakage is one of the two most common side effects of radical prostatectomy; the other is erectile dysfunction (ED).⁶ If these side effects persist, there are treatment options available for both. For more information about treating male stress urinary incontinence, read about male SUI treatment options. Learn more about erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment at EDCure.com.

SUI is usually resolved within the year following prostatectomy, but in some cases, SUI can persist past a year without improvement. Approximately 9–16% of men have persistent post-prostatectomy leakage 1 year after treatment.⁷

Many men start managing their bladder leakage with products they can buy at pharmacies or grocery stores, such as pads and diapers. Other treatment options can come from your doctor, such as disposable condom catheters, penile clamps, or implantable treatment options such as the AdVance™ XP Male Sling System and the AMS 800™ Artificial Urinary Sphincter (AUS).

If bladder control is still an issue 6 months post-prostatectomy, consider making an appointment with a urologist specializing in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence.^7,8

Although incontinence may be resolved within the year following a prostatectomy, if bladder control is an issue six months after your procedure and is not improving, you may wish to see a specialist. You may have persistent stress urinary incontinence, and an incontinence specialist can provide advice and discuss your treatment options.^7,8 Find a urologist in your area.

Surgery is an option when behavioral or nonsurgical treatments don’t produce the results you want or need. Consider seeing a urologist who specializes in the treatment of incontinence to discuss the option that is right for you. Find a urologist in your area.

The male sling is designed to work like a hammock to support the urethra providing bladder control for men.^9,10 There is nothing to operate and it is completely concealed inside the body.^9,10 One study found nearly 80% of patients who received the AdVance XP Sling said they would undergo the procedure again.¹¹ Potential risks associated with an AdVance XP Male Sling procedure may include inability to urinate (urinary retention), return to incontinence, infection, erosion, device migration, pelvic organ disfunction, bleeding, and pain.

A urologist places the AUS in the body. It mimics a healthy urinary sphincter and closes off the urethra to prevent the loss of urine until it is time to void. When it is time to void, you squeeze the small pump in your scrotum, which opens up the cuff and allows urine to flow naturally. The whole system is completely concealed inside your body and is undetectable from the outside.¹² Potential risks associated with an AUS procedure may include device malfunction/failure leading to additional surgery, wearing away/loss of tissue (device/tissue erosion), inability to urinate (urinary retention), infection, and pain/soreness.

Your urologist will manage your care immediately following your procedure and over the next several weeks. At the four- to six-week follow-up appointment, your urologist will activate the AUS and teach you how to use the AUS device.¹²

The AUS implant has been available to patients for more than 50 years¹³ and is considered a gold standard treatment for SUI.^14-16 Studies have shown that 95% of patients* are satisfied with their device and 94% of patients would recommend the device to a friend or family member.^17,18

*Non-urethroplasty patients

The most direct indicator of post-operative erectile function is your sexual ability prior to the operation. Your ability to have an erection after prostate cancer treatment could be affected by pre-existing risk factors, including older age, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and certain medications such as anti-hypertensive drugs or psychotropic medications. One year after prostate cancer treatment, 30% of men may suffer from erectile dysfunction.¹⁹

You can learn more about erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment at EDCure.com.

You might have to wait from a few months to two years to once again achieve an erection.²⁰ Your doctor may recommend that you try to get an erection as soon as possible once the body has had a chance to heal. Treatment options that may be helpful at this time include medication, vacuum erection devices, certain types of injections, or a penile implant.

You can learn more about these treatment options at EDCure.com.