The Effect of Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation Combined With Anus Lifting Training on Urinary Incontinence After Radical Prostatectomy in a Chinese Cohort

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of pelvic floor low-frequency electrical stimulation combined with anus lifting training in the treatment of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy in a Chinese cohort. Fifty-five patients with urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. Patients in control group received only anus lifting training therapy, while treatment group combined with pelvic floor low-frequency electrical stimulation. The urinary control including urinary incontinence questionnaire (ICI-Q-SF), urinary incontinence quality of life (I-QOL), visual analogue scale (VAS), and pelvic floor muscle strength assessment (Glazer) of the two groups of patients before treatment and every week was recorded for statistical analysis. There was a statistically significant difference between treatment group and control group in the urinary control curve. The scores of ICI-Q-SF, I-QOL, VAS, and Glazer in the treatment group after 2 weeks were statistically different from those before treatment, and effects were accumulating with the extension of treatment time. Compared with the control group, the scores of treatment group in the 2 to 10 weeks improved more significantly. Especially, in the sixth week, total effective rate of treatment group was significantly better than that of control group (74.07% [20/27], 35.71% [10/28], p < .05). The difference between two groups gradually narrowed after 10 weeks and no significant difference after 10 weeks of treatment between two groups. Pelvic floor low-frequency electrical stimulation combined with anus lifting training after radical prostatectomy can significantly shorten the recovery time of urinary incontinence in patients after radical prostatectomy.