title: Use of the SF-36 quality of life scale to assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise on aging males who received transurethral prostate surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used the Short Form (SF)-36® Health Survey scale to assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFE) on aging males who received transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P).
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2010 to December 2010, a total of 66 patients who underwent TUR-P were enrolled in this study. They were randomized into two groups (with 33 patients in each group) - an experimental group who performed postoperative PFE every day and a control group. Data, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), uroflowmetry study, and the SF-36 quality of life measure, were collected before the operation, and at 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the operation. We analyzed the differences between the two groups with respect to their IPSS scores, maximal urinary flow rate, residual urine amount, and life quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 61 patients (experimental group: 32 patients, and control group: 29 patients) completed this study. We found that at 12 weeks postop, patients who performed PFE every day had a better maximal urinary flow rate (16.41 ± 6.20 vs 12.41 ± 7.28 mL/min) (P = 0.026) compared with patients in the control group. The experimental group had a much greater decrease in IPSS score (P < 0.001). As for the SF-36 scale, the experimental group had higher scores than did the control group on both the physiological domain (54.86 vs 49.86) (P = 0.029) and the psychological domain (61.88 vs 52.69) (P = 0.005). However, there were no significant differences with respect to the postvoiding residual urine between the two groups (57.24 ± 52.95 vs 64.68 ± 50.63 mL) (P = 0.618).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the control group, patients who performed PFE for 12 weeks after TUR-P showed improvement in their maximal urinary flow rate and lower urinary tract symptoms, and had a better quality of life. The immediate initiation of PFE is suggested for patients who undergo TUR-P.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linko, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chen-Pang
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Tzu-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chia-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yu-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Phei-Lang
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chien-Lun
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ke-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tsui
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004576:Electromyography; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014563:Urodynamics
keywords: SF-36; benign prostatic hyperplasia; pelvic floor exercise; prostatectomy; quality of life