Caring For The Incision
You will be able to take a shower the second day after your surgery. You may continue to have some discharge at the drain site for three to five days. Once you leave the hospital, the key words on caring for the drain site and incisions are clean and dry. Showering once a day and gently patting the area with a clean towel should be sufficient.
The Initial Causes Is The Prostate Removed During Gender Reassignment Surgery
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
What To Expect Post
Men who have just undergone prostate laser surgery will have a catheter in place. That is because, although your excess prostate tissue was removed during the procedure, the procedure also inevitably led to some swelling that can make passing urine temporarily very difficult.
It is best to use a catheter for as short as possible, as having one in place for longer increases your risk of developing a urinary tract infection. If, however, after catheter removal you are still unable to urinate naturally, the catheter will be replaced with a new one. After swelling goes down, you will be able to urinate normally. Most men who have prostate laser surgery do not need a catheter for more than 24 hours.
Men who have prostate laser surgery will also bleed from their urethra for days or even a few weeks, and they may experience burning sensations, some discomfort, and a need to urinate more frequently now that the pressure the excess prostate tissue was putting on your bladder has been removed.
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What Happens During My Operation
A general anaesthetic will be used you will be asleep throughout the procedure. During surgery, you will be given antibiotics by injection.
Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy
Robotic surgery is performed via keyhole incisions and uses sophisticated mini-instruments which are under the control of the surgeon. The robot mimics and assists the surgeons movements it does not do the operation. The technique is now widely used because of its high degree of surgical accuracy, and because your recovery is faster than it is for open surgery.
Six small incisions are made into the abdomen through which the robotic instruments are inserted. The robot is placed beside you in the operating theatre. The robot has four arms – three for instruments and one for a high magnification 3-D camera to allow the surgeon to see inside your abdomen. The robotic instruments are small approximately 7mm in width. The surgeon sits in the same rooms but away from the patient and with the robotic technology is able to carry out more controlled and precise movements in a small space within the body.
The muscle fibres and nerves that control continence are preserved.
The skin is closed with absorbable sutures which are located under the skin and are not visible and the outside is sealed with skin glue.
Blood loss is usually less than 200mL and the risk of a blood transfusion is < 2%.
Open Prostatectomy
Blood loss is usually around 500mL. The risk of a blood transfusion in my hands is < 2%.
Transurethral Incision Of The Prostate
During a TUIP procedure, a surgeon will make several small incisions in your prostate instead of removing portions of your prostate. This gives your prostate room to expand without cutting off the flow of urine through your urethra.
TUIP is typically used to treat milder cases of enlarged prostate. Its possible your prostate will continue to grow and you will need additional treatments later. Following the surgery, you may need to wear a catheter for up to a week to help drain your bladder.
A TUIP procedure is much less invasive than a TURP procedure. Your recovery time should be less. Your doctor will likely send you home following the procedure.
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Can I Do Or Take Anything To Speed Up Nerve Regeneration
Not all patients want to take a tablet for potency and there is no compulsion to do so. Please do be aware that there are common side-effects associated with this increased blood flow, including headaches, facial flushing and indigestion.
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Will I Need Continence Pads
During the first few weeks after a prostatectomy, almost all patients experience some urinary incontinence. This is because removing the prostate disturbs the area between the bladder and urethra, which carries urine out of the body. During surgery, the bladder is pulled down to join the urethra and in so doing, restoring continuity. The bladder neck muscle is sometimes also weakened during surgery. We recommend that you buy continence pads before surgery and bring them into hospital with you. They can be purchased in high street pharmacies.
At the Birmingham Prostate Clinic, we specialise in nerve-sparing laparoscopic surgery which significantly reduces the impact upon the bladder. This means that many patients are dry within weeks of surgery. However, we recommend that all patients buy male incontinence pads before surgery and bring them into hospital when they come in for surgery. The results of our study of nerve-sparing prostate surgery show 82 per cent of men no longer need pads three months after surgery and this figure increases to 92 per cent six months after surgery. For the small number of men who have longer term continence problems or require further support, we can refer you to your local continence service.
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Life After Prostate Removal: What To Expect
The prostate gland is prone to inflammation and developing cancer.
Almost half of the men above the age of 60 have benign prostate hyperplasia or prostate enlargement.
However, BPH does not cause removing the prostate, but the presence of cancer or its early sign is the reason for prostate removal.
Prostate cancer has become a significant concern in recent years. Its incidence is increasing, and now its diagnosis is becoming more common even among middle-aged men.
Prostate cancer is now among the most common cancers in older men.
Aging indeed has lots to do with the increased prostate cancer rate, but it is not the only cause. It seems that this disproportionate increase in the annual incidence of prostate cancer also has to do with other lifestyle issues like a high-fat diet, greater prevalence of metabolic disorders, environmental toxins, hormonal changes, and more.
The prostate plays an important role in male fertility and sex life. Although men can survive without a prostate, unfortunately, for many men, prostate removal results in poor quality of life, issues like erectile dysfunction, and more.
Some men can expect to recover well from proctectomy. However, for others the journey to recovery is prolonged and distressing. Keep reading to find out more about life after prostate removal and what you can expect.
Can You Still Have An Erection If Your Prostate Is Removed
Yes, it is possible as the prostate gland does not play any direct role in erectile function or testosterone production. Erectile dysfunction after prostatectomy is mainly due to local inflammation and nerve injury.
How severe one would have prostate surgery-related issues would depend on the kind of surgery one had.
For example, if one had a minimally invasive surgery for partial prostate removal, the chances are slim that nerves involved in erection might be damaged.
Nevertheless, these nerves may not function well for a few months due to local inflammation. However, most men can expect to reach their prior erection quality in 3 months in such cases.
There are greater chances of nerve damage when it comes to radical prostatectomy because of localized prostate cancer than there are greater chances of nerve damage. 60% of men can expect their erectile function to reach the prior-to-surgery level within 3 months.
Regretfully, the road to recovery for the rest of 40% is prolonged. They might need months and even years of treatment. Some may need regular treatment for erectile dysfunction for the rest of their life after prostate removal.
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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Surgery
What may be important for one person might be less important for someone else. The advantages and disadvantages of surgery may depend on your age, general health and the stage of your cancer.
Advantages
- If the cancer is completely contained inside the prostate, surgery will remove all of the cancer.
- The prostate is looked at under a microscope to give a clearer picture of how aggressive your cancer is, whether it has spread outside your prostate and if you need further treatment.
- Your health professionals can get a good idea of whether your cancer was completely removed during surgery. Your PSA level should drop so low that its not possible to detect it at six to eight weeks after surgery.
- If there are signs that your cancer has come back or wasnt all removed, you may be able to have further treatment.
- Some men find it reassuring to know that their prostate has been physically removed, although you will still need to have follow-up tests to make sure no cancer cells have spread outside the prostate.
Disadvantages
- There are risks in having surgery, as with any major operation.
- You might get side effects such as erection problems and urinary problems.
- Youll need to stay in hospital for a few days usually between one and five days depending on the type of surgery you have.
- If the cancer has started to spread outside the prostate, the surgeon may not be able to remove all of the cancer and you might need further treatment.
Surgery To Remove The Prostate
Consider your options
If youre undergoing prostate surgery, you may be concerned about how it will affect your sexual function. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to become sexually aroused and have an erection.
The condition has many complex causes. It can be caused by a physical problem, an emotional issue, or both. Regardless of the cause, ED can affect both you and your partner.
Many body systems play a role in sexual arousal. These include:
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Changes In Your Sex Life
Most men experience some decline in erectile function after their prostate is removed, but this can be managed. It can take six months or even up to a year for the affected nerves to recover from surgery. But with proper therapy and treatment, most patients can have good erectile function again, says Dr. Fam.
Treatment options include:
Work with your doctor to find a treatment that is right for you.
How Fast Will I Become Totally Continent After Prostate Surgery
During surgery for prostate cancer, the urethra is also affected and, depending on the experience of the surgeon, more or less of the continence function will be preserved. Due to the high precision of robotic surgery, the patient will have a catheter for roughly one week and the trauma to the urinary function will be minimum.
The discomfort that patients feel during this time is minimum, but you should expect the removal to make you feel uneasy. The catheter will be removed during a visit to your doctor, so do not try to do this at home, as it could cause infections. The degree of which the urinary function will be affected depends on how normal the function was before surgery, age and weight.
It is worth noting that most men will experience some degree of incontinence after prostate surgery, but control can be regained within several weeks or months to a year.
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What To Expect After Prostate Laser Surgery
Laser surgery is an increasingly widely-used technique in men who were diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate that occurs in most men, to some degree, with age. Compared to traditional prostate surgery methods, prostate laser surgery has some distinct advantages. They include a lower risk of serious post-surgery bleeding, a much shorter hospital stay or the possibility of being treated on an outpatient basis, a significantly reduced need for a urinary catheter, and a much quicker recovery.
Nonetheless, prostate laser surgery, though delivered through concentrated beams of light that either vaporize or cut off excess prostate tissue rather than with a scalpel, is surgery. All forms of surgery carry some degree of risk, and all forms of surgery depend on you the patient to follow the appropriate aftercare guidelines delivered by your surgeon to the letter.
Why Is Radical Prostatectomy Done
Radical prostatectomy is a treatment for prostate cancer that prevents cancer from spreading outside the prostate gland. It may cure prostate cancer by removing it completely.
For patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, additional tests may be needed to determine the how far the cancer has spread. These tests help your provider decide if you are a candidate for radical prostatectomy:
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What Happens Right After Prostate Surgery
After surgery, youll stay in the hospital for a day or two. You may feel sore, but nurses will encourage you to get up as soon as possible. Walking helps your body start to recover from the surgery and function normally again.
Your doctor may prescribe pain medicine for a few days immediately following surgery. After that, youll switch to over-the-counter pain meds.
What Should I Expect When I Get Home
When you are discharged from the ward you will need some baggy trousers or track pants as you may find that your abdomen is uncomfortable and the catheter is easier to manage if your clothing is loose.
There will be some blood, urine, and mucus which passes alongside or through the catheter and is particularly noticeable after passing a bowel motion this is normal. You should wash the area with soap and water to remove this discharge to reduce any irritation. Keeping a high oral fluid intake reduces the risk of catheter blockage.
Following surgery, you will be given a prescription for regular pain medication as well as some laxative medication to keep your bowels regular and thus avoid any straining.
Light walking is encouraged straight after the surgery. After four to six weeks you may resume heavy lifting.
Showering, bathing, and getting the wounds wet is fine the skin has been sealed with glue.
Driving is safe once you are comfortable to do so and feel able to make an emergency stop. This would normally be around 3 weeks following surgery.
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Side Effects Of Prostate Surgery And Radiation: What You Need To Know
Prostate cancer treatment options include open or robotic radical prostatectomy, radiation with external beam radiation and/or brachytherapy, also known as radioactive seed implantation, and high intensity focused ultrasound, also called HIFU. Prostate surgery side effects and prostate radiation side effects, in addition to erectile dysfunction, include the following:
Will I Have A Catheter
When you wake up after surgery you will have a urinary catheter. A catheter is put in after you have been put to sleep. If you have never had a catheter before, catheters are a tube inserted through your urethra into your bladder to drain urine. The catheter will be connected to a bag that is taped to your leg. Have loose-fitting clothes like sweat pants or shorts for when you leave the hospital to accommodate the catheter. Before you leave the hospital, your nurse will show you how to use the catheter. You will probably need to keep the catheter in for a week or two. Removal of a catheter is usually done at the doctors office after the prescribed frame and is relatively pain-free.
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How Is Urinary Incontinence After Prostate Surgery Treated
If you find youre having issues with mild to moderate leakage after surgery, your healthcare provider might suggest starting with noninvasive therapies like medications or physical therapy exercises for the pelvic floor muscles. These treatments may also cut down on the number of times that you have to get up each night to pee.
These methods can sometimes help men who have mild to moderate leakage. Men who have persistent leakage or a more severe problem may need surgery if they do not want to continue to use pads.
What Happens Immediately After Surgery
Once your surgery has finished, you are taken to the recovery room where you will wake up.
There will be a catheter in your bladder and sometimes a small wound drain.
You will often feel a sense of needing to empty your bladder. This is normal and is due to the irritation and spasm of the bladder caused by the catheter. This sensation slowly resolves and medication can be given to help relax the bladder. The catheter is held in place with a 3cm inflatable balloon on the catheter tip so cannot fall out with normal activity. Your catheter will remain in for approximately ten days to allow the new join between your bladder and urethra to heal.
Typically, after one hour in the recovery room, you are taken back to the ward. You will be able to sit up in bed and eat dinner on the evening of surgery and walk about the ward that day or the following morning. Blood thinners and calf compressors are used to reduce the risk of blood clots forming within the veins. Post-operative pain is well controlled through the use of regular pain medication. Once you are comfortable and confident in caring for the catheter you can head home. Hospital stay is typically 1-2 nights for robotic surgery and 2-3 nights for open surgery.
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