Title:Do Drugs Work for ΟΑΒ Following Prostate Cancer Surgery
Volume: 21
Issue: 15
Author(s): Vasileios Sakalis *Anastasia Gkotsi
Affiliation:
- Agios Pavlos, General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Urology,Greece
Keywords:
Overactive bladder, urge incontinence, radical prostatectomy, prostate cancer, urgency, mixed incontinence.
Abstract:
There is evidence that post-radical prostatectomy (post-RP) incontinence is not just the insufficiency
of the external urethral sphincter mechanism. Up to a third of men with post-RP incontinence
suffer from bladder dysfunction, namely overactive bladder (OAB). OAB is a complex symptom
syndrome with poorly defined pathophysiology. It causes a significant burden to patients, negatively
affects the quality of their life and its management might be difficult and challenging.
The incidence of post-RP OAB ranges from 15.2 to 37.8%. The aetiology is multifactorial and includes
the partial decentralization of the bladder, the detrusor underactivity, the bladder outlet obstruction
and the co-existence with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Post-RP SUI may lead to defunctionalized
bladder and activation of urethrovesical reflex which further deteriorate post-RP continence.
The diagnostic work-up of men with post-RP OAB should aim to identify potential aetiologic factors
and personalize the treatment accordingly.
Until now, there is no robust data from literature with regards to post-RP OAB management. It seems
that anticholinergics and PDE5 inhibitors are effective in improving OAB parameters.