Both make products for men. The right one depends on the stage you are in. Here is what to buy for each stage, and when to step down.
Buy products made for men. Use pull-up underwear for the heavy first weeks and thin guards once the leaking is a few drips with movement. Both TENA and Depend make both. Have all of it in the house before the catheter comes out.
Buy male guards, not women's pads. They are shaped differently and catch leaks where men actually leak.
Leaking is almost guaranteed the day the catheter comes out, and some men leak a lot. Four to eight pads a day is common in weeks three and four.
For this stage, pull-up underwear. Depend Real Fit for Men is the one on Dr. Meg's list. TENA makes pull-ups for men too. Either holds a full leak when you stand up, and both look like underwear under clothes.
Guards are thin pads that stick inside your underwear. They are right for a few drips when you stand or cough.
TENA Men guards come in two weights: the Maximum Guard for heavier days and the Protective Shield for light leaking. Depend Guards for Men are the same idea. Both are thin enough to wear under normal clothes.
Most men are down to one to three pads a day by weeks nine and ten. That is usually the point to switch from pull-ups to guards.
The TENA Protective Shield is the thinnest. Use it for the stretch where you are dry most of the day and leak a little with a sneeze or at the end of a long day.
Keep a spare and a plastic bag with you when you go out. Then stop buying them. Many men are pad-free by six months.
A waterproof mattress protector for the night. Any brand. Get one that fits snug and does not crinkle.
Everything on this page, with a link to each one: Dr. Meg's product list for men.
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The muscle does not get stronger by waiting. It gets stronger with training. Learn the pelvic floor muscle, squeeze before you cough or stand, and train it in the positions where you leak. How to Stop Leaking After Prostate Surgery is the method.
How to Stop Leaking After Prostate Surgery
Kegel Exercises After Prostate Surgery: How to Do Them Right
Exercises to Do Before Prostate Surgery
When Can You Exercise After Prostate Surgery? Walking, Lifting, Golf, Running
The First Week After Prostate Surgery: What to Expect
Recovery After Prostate Surgery: A Week-by-Week Guide
Pads for Men After Prostate Surgery: What to Buy and How to Leave the House
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Prostate Surgery: Do You Need It?
The Stages of Incontinence After Prostatectomy
Still Leaking 3 or 6 Months After Prostate Surgery? What to Do Next
Life After Prostate Removal: What to Expect
Kegel Exercises for Men: How to Do Them Right
Your Husband Is Having Prostate Surgery: How to Help
How Long Does It Take to Recover From Prostate Surgery?
Do Kegels Work for Men? What They Help, and What They Do Not
Bladder Control Exercises for Men: The Three That Matter
Kegel Exercises for Men PDF: The Plan on One Page
Dr. Meg Cochran is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation, and treats men after prostate surgery through Where You Are Physical Therapy in Oxford, Mississippi.
This article is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for in-person care. Follow your surgical team's instructions. If you have urgent symptoms including severe pain, fever, unexpected bleeding, or a sudden change in function, contact your healthcare provider.
The first week after prostate surgery, written out step by step by Dr. Meg. What to do with the catheter in. What to skip. What to have in the house. Enter your email and it opens right away.
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Educational content. Not medical advice.
The Prostate Recovery Quick Start is Dr. Meg showing you the first exercises on video, from before surgery through week 4, with the two sheets to print. Open it on any phone, tablet, or computer, from anywhere. It is educational, not physical therapy.
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