Does surgery for post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence improve sex life?

While it is well-documented that prostatectomy surgery negatively impacts sexual and urinary function in a significant portion of men, this case series asks if correcting the surgery-related incontinence can improve sexual function. This article looks at a group of men who were all treated by the same surgeon for radical prostatectomy (RP) surgery. 15 men who experienced urinary incontinence after the RP were then surgically treated with an anti-incontinence surgery, either a male sling or an artificial urinary sphincter(AUS) . 11 of these 15 men were sexually active and they completed post-surgical outcomes for both urinary and sexual function.

Of the 11 men described in the study, 4 of them had the AUS and the remaining 7 had the sling surgery. All of the men reported significant improvements in urinary incontinence (the goal of the surgery.) Most of them also reported a significant increase in their sexual quality of life. It was noted that the 4 men treated with the AUS reported a marked improvement, and in the group of 7 men who had the sling procedure, more than half of them reported marked improvements.

This is encouraging information for men who are suffering from the effects of prostate surgery. Could it be that overall sense of wellness and virility improved because urinary incontinence in general was improved, or that urinary leakage during sexual activity was improved? The authors acknowledge that more research is needed to determine if a UI surgery would be beneficial for men who have UI only with sexual health.