Physical Therapy for Men Undergoing Prostatectomy

Goals of the present study will be to determine whether initiating pelvic floor muscle
training preoperatively improves quality of life symptoms related specifically to urinary
health following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Drawing definitive conclusions from
past studies is challenging secondary to various inconsistencies including: variability of
physical therapy intervention, poorly defined definitions of continence, as well as poorly
defined quality of life measurements. Additionally, the vast majority of studies combined
open and robotic prostatectomy increasing cohort heterogeneity and further blurring
interpretation of results. The investigators' study will focus exclusively on patients
undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Standardized pelvic floor muscle therapy as
well as clearly defined patient outcomes (ie: validated questionnaires) will be utilized to
determine whether preoperative initiation of formal pelvic floor physical therapy can
improve health-related quality of life following surgery.

In the era of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy does physical therapist initiated
preoperative pelvic floor muscle training lessen the expected postoperative drop off in
urinary related quality of life and/or improve patient's recovery of continence following
surgery?

Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients scheduling to undergo robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

- Patients willing and able to complete the EPIC questionnaire in its entirety

- Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

- Previous prostate surgery

- Radiation treatment

- History of incontinence defined as any pad use for urinary leakage in the past 6
months