Study on Symptom Management Theory-Based Nursing Treatment Model for Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy: A...

Radical prostatectomy is the key for localised prostate cancer, but postoperative urinary incontinence and chronic pain impair outcomes. Enhancing perioperative care improves prognosis. This single-centre retrospective study evaluated a symptom management theory-based nursing model for radical prostatectomy patients.

A total of 165 patients were divided into the control (routine care, n = 75) and observation (symptom management nursing, n = 90) groups. After propensity score matching (PSM), 67 patients per group were analysed. Outcomes (pain: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); Urinary incontinence: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UISF); Negative emotions: Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)/Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS); Quality of life: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P)) were assessed before treatment, end of 2-week treatment and 1 month post-treatment. Three-month postoperative complications were compared.

At end of treatment and 1-month post-treatment, the observation group had lower VAS, ICIQ-UISF, SAS and SDS scores (all p < 0.05), higher FACT-P scores (all dimensions, p < 0.05) and lower urinary incontinence incidence (p < 0.05). The 3-month complication rate was 7.46% (5/67) vs 19.40% (13/67) in the control (p < 0.05).

Symptom management-based nursing alleviates pain, reduces urinary incontinence, relieves negative emotions, improves the quality of life and lowers complications, with clinical value for postoperative rehabilitation.