Preoperative Exercise Training for Pelvic Floor in Urinary Incontinence Post RALP

The male urinary incontinence is one of the possible complications following radical prostatectomy surgery. It represents one of the main problems with great impact on quality of life, physical activity or social well being.

Previous studies define strengthening exercises for the pelvic floor as the most effective conservative approach for postoperative continence recovery. However, the effect of a preoperative exercises training is still controversial.

To date, studies evaluating the influence of a preoperative rehabilitation program in postoperative urinary incontinence to varying of exercises posology (number of daily repetitions) and of the exercises typology (isometric exercises VS functional exercises) have still not been published.

The aim of this clinical study is to investigate possible changes concerning the urinary incontinence in subjects undergoing a robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, to varying of posology and typology of preoperative exercises.

120 subjects undergoing a RALP (Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy) will be recruited. The inclusion criteria will be: RALP surgery planned after approximately 30-40 days from the preoperative session, objectivity of Pelvic Floor Muscle recruitment and contraction at manual perineal testing during preoperative session. Subjects with urinary incontinence before surgery, patients receiving radiotherapy treatment before surgery or patients who have had previous urogenital surgery shall be excluded from the study. Moreover, subjects with cognitive and/or psychiatric deficits and subjects with concurrent neurological conditions, internal conditions or disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which may affect the functional or motor recovery, will be excluded from the study.

The recruited patient will be randomized and stratified by age in 4 groups according to exercise posology and typology and 4 different exercise protocols will be administered according Group of intervention.

The primary outcome is to quantify the amount of the urinary leakage for 48h after 45-55 days post-surgery (Pad Test 48h). The secondary outcome is to evaluate urinary symptoms (IPSS and ICIQ-SF) and their impact on quality of life (index of quality of life 0-6), through self-assessment questionnaires compiled during preoperative session (about 30-40 days before surgery) and after 45-55- days (follow-up). At the end of the data collection, a verification of normality and homogeneity of demographic variables and of outcome measures will be proceeded. Any differences between groups will be investigated through ANOVA test for mixed models with possible post-hoc analysis.

Inclusion criteria

• On the list for RALP (Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy) surgery expected 30-40 days before preoperative session
• Objectivity of Pelvic Floor Muscle recruitment and contraction at manual perineal testing during pre-operative session

Exclusion criteria

• Incontinence before surgery
• Radiotherapy treatment before surgery
• Previous urogenital surgery
• Simultaneous presence of neurological disorders, internal conditions or disorders of the musculoskeletal system that may affect the functional or motor recovery.