Effect of preoperative biofeedback/pelvic floor training on continence in men undergoing radical prostatectomy

Objectives. To determine whether preoperative biofeedback training improves urinary continence overall or the rate of return of continence in men unde rgoing radical prostatectomy. Methods. One hundred men scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy were ra ndomized to receive graded pelvic muscle exercise training with biofeedback 2 to 4 weeks before surgery or to a control group performing pelvic muscle exercises without biofeedback. The biofeedback group was instructed to con tinue exercises four times per day until surgery and to resume exercises wh en the urethral catheter was removed following surgery. The control group r eceived written and brief verbal instructions in pelvic muscle exercises be fore surgery and again after catheter removal. Urinary continence was asses sed by personal or phone interviews. Results. Six months following surgery, the continence rates, as defined by the use of one pad or less per day, were 94% (44 of 47) and 96% (48 of 50) in the biofeedback and control groups, respectively (P = 0.596). Also, the rate of return as determined at time points 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after sur gery was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions. Preoperative biofeedback training did not improve the outcome of pelvic muscle exercises on overall continence or the rate of return of u rinary control in men undergoing radical prostatectomy. UROLOGY 56: 627-630 , 2000. (C) 2000, Elsevier Science inc.