[Technical problems in achieving continence after perineal prostatectomy].

After radical perineal prostatectomy a 88% and 94% continence rate can be achieved respectively at 6 month and 12 month follow-up. Stress incontinence persists in 4.5% of cases, while in only 1.5% complete incontinence is observed during night and day without spontaneous voidings. In our experience of 176 consecutive perineal radical prostatectomies we observed that in order to obtain a complete recovery of urinary continence, in absence of signs of detrusor instability, a functional urethral length more than 16 mm and urethral closure pressure more than 42 cm H2O are needed.