Purpose
This study aimed to identify variables influencing the sexual adjustment of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy in order to establish a structural model and intervention strategy for improving patients’ sexual adjustment.
Methods
Participants were 179 patients who received follow-up care after undergoing radical prostatectomy at two university hospitals in South Korea. Data were collected from July to November, 2017 using structured questionnaires. The exogenous variables were urinary symptoms and age, and the endogenous variables were sexual function, self-esteem, depression, couple intimacy, and sexual adjustment. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0.
Results
The goodness-of-fit measures of the final hypothetical model were satisfactory, as follows: χ² /df=2.68, GFI=.91, CFI=.90, RMSEA=.09, SRMR=.07. Sexual function, self-esteem, and couple intimacy had direct and total effects on sexual adjustment in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, and age had only an indirect effect. These variables explained 66.5% of sexual adjustment among patients. Urinary symptoms and depression did not show any significant effects, however.
Conclusion
To improve sexual adjustment in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, it is imperative to establish active and effective nursing interventions to strengthen their sexual function, self-esteem, and couple intimacy, considering their age.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), and determine the effect of Urinary Incontinence (UI) on HRQoL in patients after prostatectomy.
METHODS
The participants were 110 adults who had undergone radical prostatectomies at Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. The data of this cross-sectional study were collected between April 10, 2015, and June 12, 2015. The questionnaire included demographic and disease-related characteristics, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ). Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used.
RESULTS
The mean age was 66.27±7.24 years. The mean score of HRQoL was 47.37 (range 0~100). The lowest-ranked domains were “physical limitations” (M=51.21) and “role limitations” (M=49.85). The HRQoL was significantly different according to the number of post-operative day. HRQoL was significantly correlated with UI, and was affected by UI. The regression model of this study accounted for 70% of the HRQoL.
CONCLUSION
UI might influence HRQoL in patients after prostatectomy. Nursing interventions with special consideration of UI are needed to improve their HRQoL.

PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the quality of life of patients with radical prostatectomy.
METHODS
Participants included 114 patients with radical prostatectomy in Pusan National University Hospital in Busan, Korea. Data were collected from May to July 2018, using a structured questionnaire measuring quality of life, erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, appraisal of uncertainty, resilience, educational needs for sexual health, and marital intimacy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, a one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regression.
RESULTS
The statistically significant regression model explained about 77% of the variance in quality of life. Appraisal of uncertainty as an opportunity, appraisal of uncertainty as a danger, and resilience were identified as factors influencing the participants' quality of life.
CONCLUSION
In order to improve the quality of life of patients with radical prostatectomy, it is necessary to reduce uncertainty through providing practical information on uncertain situations, and the programs should be applied that can lower the danger aspect of uncertainty, increase the opportunity factor of uncertainty, and increase the resilience of the patient himself.

Citations

• A Structural Equation Modeling of Sexual Adjustment in Radical Prostatectomy Patients
  Min Kweon Ahn, Hyun Kyung Kim
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2021; 33(5): 532.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study is reviewed of the available literature to identify the evidence of the value of Kegel exercise programs as an intervention to decrease urinary incontinence and the improvement of the quality of life following a radical prostatectomy in localized prostate cancer.
METHODS
We searched studies of randomized controlled trials that utilized the Kegel exercise programs with patient with a radical prostatectomy. The review was conducted electronic bibliographic database of Ovid-Medline, Embase, Scopus, KoreaMed and NDSL, etc. Of 630 publications identified, seven studies that met the inclusion criteria, and all studies analyzed by meta-analysis. To ensure the quality of the studies, we used Cochrane's Risk of Bias.
RESULTS
Kegel exercise helped patient to achieve continence more quickly (after 1, 3, 6, 12 months) than men not using Kegel exercises. Especially, Kegel exercise significantly reduced the development of urinary incontinence at one month after prostatectomy. The effectiveness of Kegel exercise after prostatectomy was found to improve the quality of life at a significant level.
CONCLUSION
Based on available evidence, Kegel exercise that nurses can teach improved the return to continence more than usual care in men with prostatectomy urinary incontinence.