Electrical Pudendal Nerve Stimulation Versus Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Plus Transanal Electrical Stimulation for Post-Radical Prostatectomy Incontinence: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Prostate cancer is the predominant form of cancer in older males. Radical prostatectomy (RP) is the sole treatment that enhances both overall survival and cancer-specific survival.Urinary incontinence remains a major morbidity associated with this procedure, greatly affecting patient satisfaction following RP. Extant research underscores the efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in improving the strength and function of specific pelvic floor muscles, causing hypertrophy of peri-urethral striated muscles, thereby increasing the external mechanical pressure on the urethra. Another promising physiotherapy for post-radical prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) is electrical pudendal nerve stimulation (EPNS). An increasing body of research focuses on comparing continence restoration outcomes between PFMT and various electrical stimulations. However, such studies encompass cases with multiple pathological characteristics, and the reported data might not be considered representative or applicable to other populations due to overlooked confounding factors or selection bias. Thus, the investigators intend to conduct a propensity score matching (PSM) study aiming to compare the posttreatment outcomes of patients undergoing either EPNS or PFMT combined with TES, while ensuring a well-balanced control for confounding factor.