Improvement of Urinary Incontinence after Radical Prostatectomy with Electroacupuncture Combined with Supervised Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with supervised pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in improving post-radical prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PRPUI).

METHODS

The clinical data and treatment methods of patients with PRPUI admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University from January 2023 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected, and they were divided into the PFMT group and PFMT + EA group according to the postoperative treatment methods. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL) of patients before treatment (T0), 6 weeks of treatment (T1) and 12 weeks of treatment (T2) were collected and compared. Pelvic floor electromyography assessment values (maximum systolic electromyography (EMG) value, mean EMG value during isometric contraction and mean EMG value during endurance contraction) in patients at T0 and T2 were collected and compared.

RESULTS

A total of 226 patients with PRPUI were included in the study: PFMT group (n = 112) and PFMT + EA group (n = 114). The results from repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant interaction between time and group for ICIQ-UI-SF and I-QOL ( < 0.001), as well as a significant main effect for time and group ( < 0.001). The ICIQ-UI-SF in the PFMT + EA group was lower than that in the PFMT group at T1 and T2, but the I-QOL was higher in the PFMT + EA group than in the PFMT group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups ( < 0.001). At the T2 time point, the maximum systolic EMG value, mean isometric contraction EMG value and mean endurance contraction EMG value in the PFMT + EA group were significantly higher than those in the PFMT group ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EA combined with supervised PFMT can be used as an effective non-surgical treatment for the treatment of PRPUI.