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Learning Objective 1: To know the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among radical prostatectomy patients in Taiwan.
Learning Objective 2: To know the effectiveness of the pelvic floor exercise for Sexual Dysfunction in Radical Prostatectomy.
The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of sexual dysfunction, and to access the efficacy of pelvic floor muscle exercise in sexual dysfunction following radical prostatectomy.
Methods: This study applied Quasi-experimental design. All participants are over 40 years, conscious clear, radical prtostatectomy. Instruments of pad test, and the sexual dysfunction part of University of California in Los Angel Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) was used. After catheter removal, participants distributed into a treatment group (n=32) and a control group (n=25). Patients in the treatment group took part in a pelvic floor exercise for as their regularity daily activities. The control group was no exercise taught. We followed up the sexual function at 3, 6, and 12 months after catheter removal.
Results: All of these patients experienced severe degree of sexual dysfunction from the first month of received radical prostatectomy to one year, especially on the third months. Age and prostate weight were correlated with sexual dysfunction before exercise; we treated them as covariance in statistical analysis. Two-way ANCOVA with repeated measures showed that there was significant difference between two group sexual dysfunction (F=27.41; p= .017), when controlled age and prostate weight which was removed. The exercise group sexual function was better than no exercise group sexual function.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that pelvic floor exercise is an effective intervention for sexual dysfunction of prostatectomy patients. The results can help health care providers to include this intervention in patients’ discharge plan.