Does physiotherapist-guided pelvic floor muscle training increase the quality of life in patients after radical prostatectomy? A randomized clinical study
- 2 July 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology
- Vol. 46 (6), 397-404
- https://doi.org/10.3109/00365599.2012.694117
Abstract
Objective. The aim of this study was to study the effect of postoperative physiotherapist-guided pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) parameters in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Material and methods. A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway. Eighty-five men were randomized into two intervention groups (A and B). patients in group A (n = 42) were offered physiotherapist-guided PFMT (in groups or by DVD) once weekly throughout the first 12 months after RP, while those in group B (n = 43) trained on their own. HRQoL data were assessed using the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) health survey. The physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the SF-12 plus the urinary, sexual and bowel function and bother of the UCLA-PCI make up the eight quality of life outcomes used in this study. Data were obtained preoperatively (baseline), 6 weeks, and 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results. Eighty patients completed at least one follow-up assessment, 38 in group A and 42 in group B, giving a dropout rate of 5.9%. The overall response rates were 96% at baseline, 83% at 6 weeks, 90% at 3 months, 88% at 6 months and 68% at 12 months. No statistically significant difference in HRQoL was found between groups A and B. Conclusions. Even though physiotherapist-guided training of the pelvic floor muscles after RP improved postoperative urinary incontinence significantly compared to those patients receiving standard care/training, this was not reflected in better outcome in HRQoL parameters.Keywords
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Survivorship Beyond Convalescence: 48-Month Quality-of-Life Outcomes After Treatment for Localized Prostate CancerJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2009
- Quality of life after surgery, external beam irradiation, or brachytherapy for early‐stage prostate cancerCancer, 2007
- Determinants of Long-Term Sexual Health Outcome After Radical Prostatectomy Measured by a Validated InstrumentJournal of Urology, 2003
- Effect of pelvic-floor re-education on duration and degree of incontinence after radical prostatectomy: a randomised controlled trialThe Lancet, 2000
- Changes in quality of life following treatment for early prostate cancerUrology, 1999
- The UCLA Prostate Cancer IndexMedical Care, 1998
- Quality of life and sexuality following radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer who use or do not use erectile aidsUrology, 1997
- The MOS 36-ltem Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): III. Tests of Data Quality, Scaling Assumptions, and Reliability Across Diverse Patient GroupsMedical Care, 1994
- Pelvic floor muscle exercise for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: III. Effects of two different degrees of pelvic floor muscle exercisesNeurourology and Urodynamics, 1990