Caring For Your Incision
The incision runs from above the base of the pubic area to below the navel. It is important to keep it clean and dry. Showering once a day should be sufficient. If you notice extreme or increasing tenderness, progressive swelling, more than a small amount of drainage or any pus or redness, notify your doctor right away.
Chest infections, including pneumonia, can be serious.
You can lower your risk by:
- stopping smoking before your operation
- getting up and moving as soon as possible after your operation
- doing any breathing exercises your physiotherapist teaches you
If you get an infection you have antibiotics to treat it.
Pelvic Radiation Therapy Effect On Erections
Prostate, bladder, colon, and rectal cancer are sometimes treated with radiation to the pelvis. This can cause problems with erections. The higher the total dose of radiation and the wider the section of the pelvis treated, the greater the chance of erection problems later. If radiation therapy is part of your treatment plan, talk to your doctor before it starts. Ask how your arteries and nerves might be affected by radiation therapy so you know what to expect.
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Life After Prostate Cancer Treatment
Adjusting to life after prostate cancer treatment can take time. For some men, the emotional impact of what they have been through may not hit them until they have finished treatment. For others, working through the physical side effects is their immediate focus.
Although prostate cancer treatment can be lifesaving, it can also take a toll on the body. This can result in a disruption to normal urinary, bowel and sexual function.
Whether you have surgery, radiation or hormone therapy, you are likely to have side effects.
Its important to talk with your health care provider about these side effects before you start treatment, so you can learn about the range of options to treat them, says Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA, Urology Nurse Practitioner at the Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
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The Importance Of Prostate Massage
Prostate massage is a treatment that addresses the root cause of most prostate issues. Treatments like surgery and medications only provide temporary relief by treating the symptoms and not the cause.
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On the other hand, regular prostate massages encourage the gland to work without problems. A man will not be subjected to dangerous side effects from medication or complications from surgery. Massage also helps make the prostate stronger and more resistant from disease and infection.
Advantages Of Prostate Massage
Although regular prostate massage can help to eliminate or reduce the severity of any symptoms a man may have, it can also offer other benefits especially with improved sexual enjoyment and function.
It is a fact that modern medicine has not been able to determine the causes and treatments for many conditions related to the prostate. Even though prevention is the best medicine, prostate massage will help improve your prostateâs health and prevent existing conditions from becoming worse.
However, in the case of bacterial prostatitis, left untreated, can cause intense inflammation and increased bacterial growth.
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Why Do Doctors Perform Prostatectomies
Since the prostate gland is not an organ essential for survivability, doctors recommend its removal in some cases. Perhaps the number one cause of removal of the prostate gland would be early-stage prostate cancer.
In such cases, doctors may go for complete prostate removal, or they may even go for radical proctectomy, in which they also remove the surrounding tissues.
However, prostate cancer is not the only cause. Doctors may also recommend prostatectomy to individuals with high risk or high probability of prostate cancer. Such individuals would often have some other severe symptoms like issues urinating.
Doctors may also remove the prostate gland if there are issues like acute urinary retention, recurrent urinary infections, recurrent hematuria, bladder stone, bladder outlet problems not responsive to conservative treatment, renal insufficiency due to chronic bladder obstruction, etc.
So, prostate cancer may be the leading cause of prostatectomy, but there are many other reasons why doctors may recommend it. Moreover, when people live with different non-cancerous prostate issues, they are also at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
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Treatment After A Prostatectomy
Most men need additional treatment following surgery. Post-prostatectomy cancer treatment involves several steps, during which the doctor will perform prostate-specific antigen tests to make sure PSA levels normalize. If not, further tests and potential treatments may be needed. That’s why it’s important for every post-prostatectomy patient to see the doctor at regular intervals, depending on the schedule the care team recommends.
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Surgery To Remove Prostate Cancer
Surgery is one of the main treatments for prostate cancer. You usually have surgery to remove your prostate gland. This is a radical prostatectomy.
A radical prostatectomy is a major operation with some possible side effects. You may not need this type of surgery if youre an older man with a slow growing prostate cancer. This is because your cancer might grow so slowly that youre more likely to die of old age or other causes than from prostate cancer.
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Many Men Underestimate Prostate Surgery Side Effects
New research finds that men who undergo prostate removal often suffer more from incontinence and impotence than they expected, even when counseled beforehand about possible aftereffects.
The findings suggest theres a wide gap between what men with prostate cancer expect post-surgery and what actually happens and that many are shocked by the level of dysfunction after the operation.
After the surgeries, we find that men are very disappointed and very sad. Its as if they really didnt hear what was being told to them, said study lead author Daniela Wittmann, a sexual health coordinator at the University of Michigans prostate cancer survivorship program.
Removal of the prostate, a treatment for prostate cancer, is especially common among younger men, while older men often turn to radiation, said Dr. Stephen Freedland, an associate professor of urology and pathology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. The procedure can lead to urinary incontinence, sometimes to the point where men need to wear padding, as well as difficulty attaining and maintaining an erection.
Prostate cancer is also sometimes treated with hormonal therapy, which can also lead to impotence and other serious side effects, or by watchful waiting, which means having regular exams while doctors keep an eye on the tumor to see if it grows or spreads. The latter is usually recommended when physicians feel someones age will allow them to outlive the generally slow-moving cancer.
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Urinary And Bowel Changes
Radiation therapy can cause permanent urinary and bowel changes. Many people dont notice any changes or have any symptoms. However, some people have late side effects.
Late side effects may be similar to the ones you had during treatment. Theres a very small chance you may develop other side effects. For example:
- The opening of your bladder may become narrower.
- You may lose your ability to control your bladder.
- You may have blood in your urine.
- You may have bleeding from your rectum.
- Your rectum may be injured.
These side effects are rare. They may come and go over time or be persistent and chronic. Your healthcare team will help you manage them.
Even if you dont develop any late side effects, remember that the tissues in your bladder and rectum were affected by your radiation therapy. Call your radiation oncologist if you:
- Have any new urinary, bladder, or bowel symptoms.
- Need to have a colonoscopy. Avoid having a colonoscopy for the first year after radiation therapy.
- Need any type of urological or rectal procedure.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Prostate Cancer Surgery
People often ask what happens if the prostate is removed? What to expect after prostate surgery? And can you have your prostate removed at all? The answer is yes it is possible to have the prostate removed.
Life without a prostate can be close to normal for some, though not free from the after effects of prostate removal.
There are few prostate surgery complications. Some are acute, and others chronic. Among acute side effects could be a reaction to anesthesia, bleeding issues, blood clots in legs, damage to nearby organs, and infection at the surgery site.
However, in most cases, people are interested in life after prostate removal, the pain after prostate surgery, and the long-term after effects of a prostatectomy.
There are two main side effects of prostate surgery. These are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Things You Should Expect After Prostate Surgery
Prostate removal is a major type of surgery and requires time for the body to recover. Even though robotic prostatectomy using the Da Vinci robot has less severe effects on the body and the patient can leave the hospital the same day, men should expect some changes in order to know how to deal with them. The surgery is performed through small incisions that are barely sensitive at the incision sites and the scar tissue is almost unnoticeable. Typically, the recovery is fast, most men are able to go home the next day and resume driving and working in two to three weeks after the surgery.
In the immediate hours after surgery:
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Surgery For Prostate Cancer
Surgery is a common choice to try to cure prostate cancer if it is not thought to have spread outside the prostate gland.
The main type of surgery for prostate cancer is a radical prostatectomy. In this operation, the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles.
Risks Of Prostate Surgery
The risks with any type of radical prostatectomy are much like those of any major surgery. Problems during or shortly after the operation can include:
- Reactions to anesthesia
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Damage to nearby organs
- Infections at the surgery site.
Rarely, part of the intestine might be injured during surgery, which could lead to infections in the abdomen and might require more surgery to fix. Injuries to the intestines are more common with laparoscopic and robotic surgeries than with the open approach.
If lymph nodes are removed, a collection of lymph fluid can form and may need to be drained.
In extremely rare cases, a man can die because of complications of this operation. Your risk depends, in part, on your overall health, your age, and the skill of your surgical team.
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What Are The Long
A new five-year study identifies how different treatment options affect long-term bowel, bladder and sexual function.
Any man who is diagnosed with prostate cancer and faces treatment choices must grapple with the risk of side effects. Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are the most common. Sometimes, these side effects are temporary and get better with time.
Until now, however, there havent been good long-term data to help oncologists help men with prostate cancer make informed choices about treatment that take these side-effect risks into account.
The new study included more than 2,000 men who were followed for five years after receiving various types of prostate cancer treatment. The resulting paper quantifies key differences in those treatments associations with long-term bowel, bladder and sexual function. The study, called CEASAR, for the Comprehensive Effectiveness Analysis of Surgery and Radiation for Localized Prostate Cancer, is coordinated by the Vanderbilt University Medical Cancer and follows men who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2011 and 2012.
The 1,386 men with favorable-risk prostate cancer received one of these treatments:
The 619 men with unfavorable-risk prostate cancer received one of two treatments:
There were no clinically significant differences in bowel function after five years across the treatment types.
To read a press release about the study, .
To read the study abstract, .
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What Is The Prostate Gland
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the neck ofa mans bladder and urethrathe tube that carries urine from the bladder.Its partly muscular and partly glandular, with ducts opening into theprostatic portion of the urethra. Its made up of three lobes, a centerlobe with one lobe on each side.
Researchers dont know all the functions of the prostate gland. However,the prostate gland plays an important role in both sexual and urinaryfunction. Its common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a manages, and its also likely for a man to encounter some type of prostateproblem in his lifetime.
Many common problems that dont require a radical prostatectomy areassociated with the prostate gland. These problems may occur in men of allages and include:
Cancer of the prostate is a common and serious health concern. According tothe American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common form ofcancer in men older than age 50, and the third leading cause of death fromcancer.
There are different ways to achieve the goal of removing the prostate glandwhen theres cancer. Methods of performing prostatectomy include:
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How Can A Prostatectomy Impact Your Quality Of Life
Prostatectomy is not life-threatening, but prostate removal significantly affects the quality of life, and it may cause problems like urinary symptoms, bladder issues, erectile dysfunction, and more. T
These issues may last for several months and even years, something patients should be ready for if they decide to have the surgery.
However, a lot depends on the patients age and the kind of surgery done. Studies show that about 60% of patients would make an almost complete recovery within 3 months with no long-term complications. By 12-months, almost 90% of patients can expect to feel much better and nearly normal.
Unfortunately, improvement is slow for some people, and they need 2-3 years to revive their sexual function and get rid of urinary issues. Regretfully, these issues may continue to haunt some for a while.
Here it is vital to understand that the above data is for radical proctectomy . The outlook is better after partial proctectomy.
Side Effects Of Removing The Prostate
While it is great to be cancer-free, a prostatectomy is not without risks or side effects. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra and sits close to the muscles responsible for starting and stopping urination. Nerves in the area that control erections are also susceptible to damage.
The most common side effects of removing the prostate are:
- Urinary incontinence
- Altered bowel function
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Can A Prostate Grow Back Once Removed
Yes. The prostate can sometimes regenerate. This can happen if any part of the prostate, no matter how small, is left behind. This doesnt always happen, though. Regrowth depends on a number of individual factors.
This side effect is more common after a simple prostatectomy, in which part of the prostate is purposefully left intact.
Immediately After A Prostatectomy
- You will stay in hospital for two to five days.
- Nurses will monitor your vital signs.
- Your pain will be managed with medication.
- You may be given antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.
- You may have a drip inserted into your arm or hand for a few days.
- You will most likely have a drain tube out of your abdomen that will be removed in the first day or two after the surgery.
- In most cases, you will have to go home still wearing the catheter. You will be taught how to care for it.
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Dealing With Treatment Side Effects
Often there are unwanted and unexpected side effects that result from the various treatments for prostate cancer. These are not from the cancer itself, but from the surgery, radiation or hormone therapy or chemotherapy that are typically used to treat the disease.
All treatments will have some side effects, some short term, and some are long term. Short-term side effects tend to be common and reversible or diminishing. Long-term side effects are less common and are not always fully reversible.
Those side effects vary from person to person and as well as physical, they can also effect men psychologically and emotionally. Men about to undergo treatment should seek out information on what the potential side effects might be from their upcoming treatment.
Urinary Problems
Surgery can affect the ability to control the bladder. It can lead to incontinence or leaking urine when coughing or with a sudden movement. Radiation treatment can lead to other problems with urination.
Sometimes men who have had surgery or radiation therapy can experience a slowing of their urine stream and a feeling they are not able to completely empty their bladder. In rare cases, men who have had radiation therapy may also experience blood in the urine. Sometimes it can be due to the prostate cancer treatment, but it can also be a sign of other health issues that should be investigated.
It is important to report any changes or concerns about your urinary symptoms to your healthcare team.
Bowel Problems
Schedule An Appointment To See A Urologist
To schedule an appointment with a urologist at University of Utah Health, call 801-213-2700. You do not need a referral from your primary care provider or another care provider to schedule an appointment with our urologists. However, some insurance plans do require a referral in order for HoLEP to be covered. Talk to your insurance carrier about your specific plan requirements.
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