INSTRUCTIONS TO “STOP THE URINE FLOW” PRIOR TO RADICAL PROSTATE SURGERY PRODUCES QUANTIFIABLE BLADDER NECK ELEVATION USING TRANSPERINEAL ULTRASOUND
Presenter: Neumann P
This module addresses:
Questions: Does the verbal instruction to “stop the flow of urine” result
in appropriate cranial displacement of the bladder neck in men undergoing
radical prostate surgery? Can this movement be reliably quantified by a
trained physiotherapist using transperineal ultrasound in the clinic?
Conclusion: Prior to radical prostate surgery, verbal instructions to
contract the pelvic floor muscles “as if stopping the flow of urine” resulted
in cranial bladder neck displacement which could be accurately quantified
in the clinical setting by transperineal ultrasound performed by a trained
physiotherapist. The relevance of this instruction to focus on urethral,
compared with anal, sphincter activation on continence outcomes is not
known and warrants further research.
Key Practice Points:
• Instructions to “stop the flow of urine” resulted in bladder neck elevation
in all men
• Transperineal ultrasound can provide quantifiable and accurate measures
of pelvic floor movement in pre-prostatectomy men in the clinical setting
CPD Points: 0.25