Curative effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise on urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy—Comparisons of different approaches at different time point

Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is widely applied for urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP). This research aimed to explore the relationship between PFME and UI after RP. We searched databases for studies that met our requirements until 17/4/2021. The UI symptoms of the PFME group and the control group were compared at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the operation. Subgroup analysis based on surgical approach (open radical prostatectomy vs laparoscopyrobotics radical prostatectomy) and UI definition (questionnaire vs. pad weight) were also conducted. The UI rate in PFME group is significantly lower when compared with control group at each time point. According to subgroup analysis, PFME is more effective to alleviate UI after laparoscopyrobotics radical prostatectomy when compared with open RP at mid-term (3s and 6 months) whereas no significant difference was detected between two groups at short (1 month) or long (12 months) term. According to this meta-analysis, post-operation PFME treatment can effectively alleviate the symptoms of UI after RP at any time point; pre-operation PFME alone was not sufficient to relieve UI. Compared with open prostatectomy, PFME is more effective for the UI after laparoscopyrobotics radical prostatectomy.