Surgery vs Radiation: Which Prostate Treatment Causes Worse Incontinence?

Which treatment for prostate cancer gives you worse incontinence — surgery or radiation? The answer depends on what you mean by "worse." Surgery causes stress incontinence — leakage when you cough, sneeze, or stand up — which is severe in the first few weeks but recovers for most men within 3-6 months. Radiation causes urge incontinence — urgency, frequency, rushing to the toilet — which is common during treatment but usually settles, with a small risk of delayed bladder changes years later. In this video, Associate Professor Charles Chabert, urologist and Director of The Prostate Clinic, breaks down the actual data on incontinence after each treatment, explains why the type of leakage matters, and gives you a clear verdict on which is worse — and for whom. What's covered: ✅ Stress incontinence (surgery) vs urge incontinence (radiation) — what's the difference? ✅ Pad-free rates at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery ✅ Radiation bladder symptoms — short-term vs long-term ✅ The comparison table — side by side ✅ Salvage surgery incontinence — why treatment sequence matters ✅ The verdict: which treatment and for which man ✅ 4 questions to ask your specialist ⚠️ Educational content only. Not medical advice. Always consult your own specialist. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly expert videos on prostate health from a practising urologist. ▶️ Visit: www.prostates.com.au Questions for Your Specialist (scannable list) 📋 Questions to ask your specialist: 1. What is your centre's pad-free rate at 12 months after radical prostatectomy? 2. What percentage of your patients require an artificial sphincter or male sling? 3. If I choose radiation first and it fails, what are my options — and what's the incontinence risk of salvage surgery? 4. Can I start pelvic floor exercises now, before treatment, to improve my outcome? Tags prostate cancer, incontinence, prostate surgery incontinence, radiation incontinence, radical prostatectomy, stress incontinence, urge incontinence, prostate cancer treatment, robotic prostatectomy, pelvic floor exercises, artificial urinary sphincter, male sling, prostate cancer side effects, urologist, prostate health, post prostatectomy incontinence, radiation cystitis, salvage prostatectomy