Rarely, hemorrhage may occur, requiring a transfusion. Drinking eight glasses of water a day after surgery is important to flush the bladder and help healing. The risk is particularly high if a catheter is required. Antibiotics may be given to prevent infections, although often a physician will choose to monitor a patient and administer antibiotics only if an infection is evident. Temporary stress incontinence, which is urine leakage after activities such as sneezing, coughing, or lifting, occurs in most surgical patients.
Urge incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine following an uncontrollable urge to urinate.
For most men, sexual function returns in short order, but it may take up to a year for complete recovery. If potency was diminished before the operation, the procedure will not restore it. During most invasive procedures, the muscle that blocks off the bladder may be cut in order to widen the outlet. In such cases, the semen flows back through the wider opening rather than out the penis. This condition can impair fertility and is of particular concern in younger men.