The Rehabilitation Nurse's contribution to preventing urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy – a Scoping Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33194/rper.2025.36298Keywords:
Prostatectomy, Urinary incontinence, Rehabilitation, HospitalAbstract
Introduction: Prostate cancer is one of the neoplasms with the greatest impact on men's health. Radical prostatectomy is often the surgical treatment of choice and can result in complications such as urinary incontinence. This scoping review aimed to map the rehabilitation interventions used to prevent urinary incontinence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.
Methodology: A scoping review, following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute, using the PCC mnemonic, carried out in January 2025, in the MEDLINE, CINAHL complete and MedicLatina databases, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, with no time limit.
Results: Eight articles were analysed, and two thematic areas emerged: exercise-based rehabilitation interventions, particularly pelvic floor muscle training and the micturition interruption exercise, and rehabilitation techniques using devices, particularly whole-body vibration training, electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve and electrical stimulation of acupuncture points with low-frequency impulses.
Discussion: The evidence identified emphasises the role of the Rehabilitation Nurse in implementing effective interventions to prevent urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy, especially pelvic floor muscle training. This intervention, which has been widely validated, requires specialised guidance and is essential in the rehabilitation care plan.
Conclusion: Pelvic floor muscle training emerges as the main intervention in the prevention of urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. The Rehabilitation Nurse plays an essential role in its implementation, contributing to a more effective recovery and improving patients' quality of life.
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