Short answer: yes, completely normal. The majority of men experience some level of urinary incontinence for three to twelve months after a radical prostatectomy. Six weeks is well within the typical recovery window. The fact that you're still leaking doesn't mean something is wrong — it means your body is healing on schedule.
Here's what's actually happening, what to expect over the next few months, and when leaks should prompt a call to your surgeon.
Why control returns slowly
The prostate sits directly below the bladder, wrapped around the urethra. The surgery to remove it disrupts two structures that control urinary continence: the internal sphincter (often partially removed with the prostate) and the external sphincter (left intact but temporarily weakened by inflammation and nerve disturbance).
After surgery, the external sphincter has to learn to do the work of both. That takes time — usually months — and pelvic floor exercises accelerate it significantly.
The typical recovery timeline
Weeks 1–2: Heavy leaks
Immediately after the catheter comes out, most men experience significant leakage, especially when standing, coughing, or moving. This is normal.
Weeks 3–6: Improvement begins
Many men notice the volume of leaks starting to drop. You may still leak with exertion (lifting, exercise, sneezing) but have dry stretches in between.
Weeks 6–12: Steady improvement
This is the phase most men are in when they search for an article like this one. The volume continues to decrease. Many can stop using heavy products and switch to lighter pads.
Months 3–6: Most men reach continence
By six months, the majority of men are mostly or fully continent during the day. Stress incontinence (with exertion) may still appear occasionally.
Months 6–12: Final recovery
By twelve months, roughly 85–95% of men are continent at the level they will reach long-term. A smaller percentage will need additional intervention.
When to be concerned
Most leaks are normal. Call your surgeon if you experience:
- Sudden complete loss of bladder control after a period of improvement.
- Pain or burning with urination — could indicate UTI.
- Blood in urine after week four.
- Inability to urinate at all.
- Fever, especially with pelvic pain.
- No improvement at all between weeks four and eight.
What you can do right now
- Daily pelvic floor exercises (Kegels). Your surgeon can refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist — this is the single highest-impact thing you can do.
- Time your fluid intake. Drink steadily through the day; reduce intake two to three hours before bed.
- Empty your bladder regularly, even if you don't feel a strong urge — every two to three hours during the day.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which are bladder irritants and worsen urgency.
- Use protection that lets you live your life. The right product for this phase isn't a heavy adult diaper — it's a discreet pull-up or absorbent guard that fits like underwear.
Picking the right product for this phase
Most men post-surgery don't need bulky protection. They need something thin, discreet, and reliable enough to handle moderate leaks without showing under work clothes. Our men's pull-up was built for this recovery window — cloth-like outer layer, anatomically designed for the male body, and ships discreetly.
For overnight or heavier days during the early weeks, our men's tabbed brief offers more absorbency.
As your recovery progresses, you can move down to lighter absorbency (guards or shields) and eventually phase out protection entirely.
You're not behind
Six weeks is early in the recovery curve, and the men who recover fastest are the ones who stay on top of their pelvic floor work and don't isolate themselves from normal activity. The right product makes it easier to keep your routine — gym, work, social — while your body finishes healing.
Browse the full men's collection — discreet packaging and free shipping available.