Truths From a Nurse Continence Advisor: The Side Effects of Urinary Incontinence in Men
One truth I know as a Nurse Continence Advisor is that urinary incontinence is not the sexiest subject but it is one of the most important for women and men too! One myth surrounding urinary incontinence is that it only affects little old ladies. The truth is that men experience urinary incontinence also and it is common after treatment for Prostate Cancer.
Doctors do make every effort to educate men about the risk of complications from prostate cancer treatment such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. That said, men hear the “C” word and understandably are focused on surviving a prostate cancer diagnosis.
After all, they have survived cancer! But then reality strikes and the leaks are much more than men realize especially when their lives change. Prostate cancer often strikes during the middle years for men, the years when men may have just retired, are still very physically active and/or in a relationship. But urinary incontinence can get in the way of it all.
Effects of Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence may lead to isolation, loneliness, the need to wear diapers and depression! Not only will it affect the quality of life, but It may also impact a man’s dignity and self-esteem. And the most common type after prostate cancer treatment is Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) which is leakage of urine that occurs with physical activity that increases abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise so it may impact a man’s golf game or other activities.
Brian’s Story
Brian was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer fifteen years ago. So I invited him to be a guest on the Sunday Night Health Show to share his story. At the time of his diagnosis, he was a healthy 60-year-old who was gainfully employed and very physically active: daily walks, inline & ice skating.
Under the care of his urologist, Brian decided to undergo a Radical Prostatectomy and he was cured of prostate cancer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Brian suffered from Stress Urinary Incontinence for two years and resorted to using pads.
The pads weren’t always effective and they would often leak in social situations. He found this to be embarrassing and frustrating. He tried many conservative measures but the spigot just never seemed to turn off.
He was referred to a urologist who specializes in urinary incontinence. After examination, Brian was offered several treatment options and ultimately chose an implantable balloon device that was considered less invasive than other options available at that time. The balloons were implanted in Fall 2008. The device caused Brian to experience discomfort and was not effective in stopping his leaks. He underwent removal of this device in 2014.
Getting Back to Life with Contino
Brian was persistent and in late 2014, he enrolled in a clinical trial for the Contino® device. The Contino® device is a discreet and convenient urethral insert solution. Although his participation in the trial finished in 2015, he has continued to use the Contino® device because as he puts it, “It works and I’ve got my life back. Furthermore, there are no side effects.” Brian is still using Contino® as of today, February 25, 2022!
Brian is back to living life again without the worry of bladder leaks or pads. It took a long time but says it was well worth the wait. Are you experiencing stress urinary incontinence after prostate surgery? Suffer no more! You don’t have to wait as long as Brian did for effective treatment.
To learn more about Contino, go to www.mycontino.com to see if it is right for you.
To hear Brian’s story on the Sunday Night Health Show .
Maureen McGrath is a Registered Nurse and Nurse Continence Advisor who hosts the Sunday Night Health Show, a live listener-call in radio show on Sundays from 8-10 pm PT on the Corus Radio Network.