Urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy: prognostic factors

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the most common urological malignancy in men. Radical prostatectomy (RPE) ensures high rates of relapse-free survival. Urinary incontinence is a frequent complication after RPE that significantly reduces the quality of life and leads to social maladaptation of the patient. Advances in pelvic anatomy, optimization of surgical techniques, and implementation of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery have improved functional results of RPE. However, the increasing incidence of prostate cancer leads to an increase in the number of patients after RPE and, accordingly, patients with urinary incontinence. Therefore, issues related to etiology, pathogenesis, and prevention of urinary incontinence after RPE remain highly relevant. Numerous publications suggest that etiology of urinary incontinence after RPE is multifactorial. The purpose of this literature review is to provide an overview of studies on urinary incontinence after RPE. We analyze the role of preoperative and intraoperative parameters as possible risk factors for urinary incontinence after RPE.