title: Does physiotherapist-guided pelvic floor muscle training increase the quality of life in patients after radical prostatectomy? A randomized clinical study.
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).
  
  
  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.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
authors: Steffan Robstad
authors: SR
authors: Nilssen
authors: Siv
authors: S
authors: Mørkved
authors: Mari
authors: M
authors: Overgård
authors: Stian
authors: S
authors: Lydersen
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Angelsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000534:rehabilitation