Is there any change in pelvic floor electromyography during the first 6 months after radical retropubic prostatectomy?
The aim of this study is to determine electromyographic pelvic floor muscles activity during the first 6 months post RRP and its relationship to urinary continence. Thirty-eight men (mean age of 63.1 ± 5.7 year) with prostate cancer scheduled for open radical retropubic prostatectomy were evaluated.


METHODS
pelvic radiotherapy, systemic or neurologic diseases, pre-operative International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) >7 and OABq ≥8. Surface electromyography (sEMG) evaluation, IPSS, Urinary Distress Inventory, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire-short form were applied before and at 1, 3, and 6 months after RRP. Six months after surgery, 18 men (47.4 %) presented urinary leakage. The sEMG evaluations within the first 6 months presented changes in fast contraction amplitude (p = 0.006), rest amplitude after fast contraction (p = 0.04), 10 s sustained contraction mean amplitude (p = 0.024) and final rest amplitude (p = 0.011). We observed that continent and incontinent patients as a group presented electromyographic changes during the first 6 months after radical prostatectomy that could be justified by the denervation/reinnervation of the external urethral sphincter. This finding is consistent with the adaptation of the pelvic floor musculature to the new urethral sphincter condition following surgery.
Department of Urology - Female Urology and Voiding Dysfunction, Federal University of São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil, clahacad@gmail.com.
Claudia R
CR
Hacad
Howard I
HI
Glazer
João Paulo C
JP
Zambon
Juliana S
JS
Burti
Fernando G
FG
Almeida
D000368:Aged; D004576:Electromyography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014521:Urethra / Q000293:injuries* / Q000294:innervation; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology*