The one thing that will make a difference when recovering from a prostate operation

Surgical removal of whole or part of the prostate gland is an effective prostate cancer treatment, but patients are very much concerned about the complications. Patients are usually perturbed about the long-term issues they might face, such as urinary control, and sexual intercourse, etc.

Most of the men probably recover completely urinary and sexual function, although many factors affect the post-operative outcomes. However, there are many things one must do in order to regain functionality completely.

In this article, you’ll get to know about the best possible ways by which you can recover almost completely after a prostate cancer operation.

What lifestyle changes must be needed?

You can make certain lifestyle changes to diminish the probability of cancer recurrence and recoup urinary continence. The best of these are enlisted below:

• Avoidance of smoking:Studies have shown that smokers are at great risk of developing prostate cancer.¹Moreover, cessation of smoking reduces the risk of cancer recurrence too.²
• Get treatment for sexual health: Mostly, the men often experience erectile dysfunction in weeks or months following the treatment. Talking with your doctor about the possible treatment options might help you regain the ability to do sexual intercourse.
• Regularly exercising:A research study done in 2015 shows that men who exercise regularly after their prostate cancer treatment have greater chances of survival than men who don’t.³

Kegel exercises are the best for post-operative recovery

After prostate cancer surgery or radiation therapy, your pelvic muscles become weak. These pelvic muscles help you control urinary flow and perform sexual intercourse. Thus, most of the patients experience urinary incontinence after a prostate cancer operation.

Kegel exercises are the best for men to strengthen their pelvic muscles and regain urinary continence. These are performed in the following steps:

• Tighten your pelvic muscles for almost 5 seconds (like the way you hold a bowel movement).
• Relax them. You’ve performed one Kegel exercise.
• Repeat the exercise for 10 to 20 times.

What is Wil, and how can it help you in managing urine leaks?

Wil is a pelvic floor pad with a sensor snapped in. The sensor in this smart pad gathers data on the urinary moisture and provides it in an organized manner to the app on your tablet or smartphone through Bluetooth.

Wil thus also helps you know the effectiveness of your Kegel exercises.

Take-Home Message

Kegel exercises are the best to help repossess urinary continence. You surely can track their efficacy in the best possible manner by using Wil. Always remember that recovery is time-consuming but if you Wil, you can!

References

1. Kenfield, S. A., Stampfer, M. J., Chan, J. M. & Giovannucci, E. Smoking and prostate cancer survival and recurrence. JAMA - J. Am. Med. Assoc.305, 2548–2555 (2011).
2. De Nunzio, C., Andriole, G. L., Thompson, I. M. & Freedland, S. J. Smoking and Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review. European Urology Focusvol. 1 28–38 (2015).
3. Bonn, S. E. et al.Physical activity and survival among men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.24, 57–64 (2015).