Prospective predictors of urinary continence after anatomical radical retropubic prostatectomy: a multivariate analysis

The aim of this work was to evaluate variables that predict time to pad-free urinary continence after anatomical radical prostatectomy (ARP). Sixty consecutive prostate cancer patients who underwent ARP by one surgeon were studied. Pad-free urinary continence was prospectively determined by patient interviews and confirmed on physical examination and by the urinary domain of the Extended Prostate Inventory Composite ( EPIC) Health Related Quality of Life questionnaire. A time-dependent Cox multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine which variables significantly correlated with time to pad-free urinary continence. Increasing prostate size ( cc), increasing prostate urethral length ( cm) and surgical technique ( wide excision of the neuro-vascular bundle) correlated with a significantly ( P< 0.05) prolonged time to achieve pad-free urinary continence. In conclusion, prostate size and surgical technique were the most useful variables in predicting time to pad-free urinary continence after ARP.