title: Preparing Patients and Partners for Recovery From the Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Surgery: A Group Approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the acceptance and knowledge attained in a preoperative psychoeducational group seminar for patients and partners. Education before radical prostatectomy (RP) helps patients set appropriate expectations for functional recovery. We hypothesized that the seminar would be acceptable and would facilitate learning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men scheduled for RP from March 1, 2012, to July 31, 2013, were eligible, and partners were invited. The 2.5-hour interactive seminar included multidisciplinary presentations about surgery-related urinary and sexual outcomes, rehabilitation, and couples' work toward recovering sexual intimacy. A satisfaction and knowledge survey was administered immediately afterward. We analyzed demographic and satisfaction data with descriptive statistics and evaluated congruence of patients' and partners' knowledge responses using nonparametric statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 618 patients scheduled, 426 patients and 342 partners attended; 323 couples provided complete data. Over 90% of participants found the seminar informative and 74% found a group setting comfortable; 84% found travel to the seminar burdensome. Most patients and partners (84% and 90%, respectively) expected some urinary incontinence and understood rehabilitation strategies to regain bladder control; 84% of patients and 78% of partners expected postsurgery sexual activity to be different and 73% of patients and 65% of partners expected surgery to make erections worse. Couples were incongruent regarding frequency of incontinence, likelihood of erectile dysfunction, and sex being different after surgery: patients were more realistic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A preoperative psychoeducational group seminar on the recovery from RP side effects promotes realistic expectations and is acceptable to patients and partners. Incongruent couples may need further instruction after surgery. Web-based methodology could improve access and should be studied in future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Division TrueNTH-USA, Movember Foundation, Culver City, CA.
authors.forename: Kellie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paich
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, HSRD Center for Clinical Management Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skolarus
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montie
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hollenbeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palapattu
authors.affiliation: Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, MI.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Staci
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hola
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shifferd
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Electronic address: dwittman@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wittmann
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires