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Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine—meaning you leak urine even when you don’t want to. There are several types of urinary incontinence, but the most common are urge incontinence, stress incontinence, and overflow incontinence. Some people may even experience symptoms of more than one type, known as mixed incontinence.

Hip and knee replacements are among the most common orthopedic surgeries in aging male populations, with over 62,000 procedures performed annually in Canada alone—a number that has more than doubled in the past decade. While these surgeries significantly improve mobility and quality of life, they are not without risk. One frequently overlooked but clinically important complication is postoperative urinary retention (POUR), particularly in male patients. In a large study of over 1,000 patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty, the 24-hour incidence of POUR reached 43.3%, with male sex increasing the risk nearly fourfold. Factors such as spinal anesthesia and intrathecal morphine further contribute to this elevated risk. 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in elderly men, and radical prostatectomy is a widely used treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer. While many men experience temporary urinary function issues after surgery, most recover over one to two years. However, a significant number of patients face persistent urinary incontinence, severely impacting their quality of life. This ongoing condition leads to a range of challenges, including physical, emotional, social, and occupational difficulties, as well as significant hygiene concerns. Furthermore, urinary incontinence imposes substantial costs on both patients and healthcare systems.