Effects Of Removing Prostate Gland

Help Managing Cancer Treatment Side Effects

The team at Compass Oncology is experienced in helping patients treat prostate cancer and manage the side effects of treatment. If you live in the Portland-Vancouver area, have more questions about the side effects of prostate cancer treatment, or need help managing your side effects, request an appointment at one of our locations that’s convenient for you. We’re here with you every step of the way.

What You Need To Know About The Prostate Side Effects Of Removal Of Prostate Gland

A enlarged prostate can also cause blockages in the urethra. A blocked urethra can also damage the kidneys. A patient suffering from an enlargement of the prostate may have pain in his lower abdomen and genitals. If pain is present, a digital rectal examination will reveal hard areas. A doctor may prescribe surgery or perform an endoscopic procedure. If the enlarged prostate is not completely removed, it will shrink.

While the size of an enlarged prostate will influence the extent of urinary symptoms, men may experience a range of urinary symptoms. Some men have minimal or no symptoms at all. Some men will have a very enlarged prostate, whereas others will have a mild enlargement. Generally, the symptoms can stabilize over time. Some men may have an enlarged prostate but not notice it. If they have an enlarged colon, their physician can perform a TURP procedure.

The Initial Causes Side Effects Of Removal Of Prostate Gland

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.

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What Are The Long

As per the American Cancer Society, there are two common long-term effects when the prostate is removed urinary inconsistency and erectile dysfuction.

Both these issues are quite common and will last at least three months in all the cases. Most will see improvement in about 12 months.

Nevertheless, some urinary issues and erectile dysfunction may be chronic and last for a few years, requiring continuous care and treatment.

Coping And Support For You And Your Family

Coping with the side effects of prostate cancer surgery can be difficult. There are things you can do, and people who can help you and your family to cope.

• Radical prostatectomy for localised prostate cancerUpToDate, June 2016

• Long-term quality-of-life outcomes after radical prostatectomy or watchful waiting: the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group-4 randomised trial. EJohansson, and othersThe Lancet Oncology, 2011. Vol 12, Issue 9, Pages 891-899

• Sexual dysfunction following radical prostatectomyC.R Benson, and othersJournal of Andrology, 2012. Volume 33, Pages 1143-1154

• Quality of life and satisfaction with outcome among prostate-cancer survivors. M. Sanda and othersNew England Journal of Medicine, 2008. Volume 358

• Guidelines on Prostate CancerEuropean Association of Urology , March 2015

• Prostate cancer

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What You Need To Know About Prostate Surgery

What is prostate surgery for?

The prostate is a gland located underneath the bladder, in front of the rectum. It plays an important role in the part of the male reproductive system that produces fluids that carry sperm.

Surgery for partial or complete removal of the prostate is called a prostatectomy. The most common causes for prostate surgery are prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia .

Pretreatment education is the first step to making a decisions about your treatment. All types of prostate surgery can be done with general anesthesia, which puts you to sleep, or spinal anesthesia, which numbs the lower half of your body.

Your doctor will recommend a type of anesthesia based on your situation.

The goal of your surgery is to:

• cure your condition
• minimize pain before, during, and after surgery

Read on to learn more about the types of surgery, risks, and recovery.

The goal of prostate surgery also depends on your condition. For example, the goal of prostate cancer surgery is to remove cancerous tissue. The goal of BPH surgery is to remove prostate tissue and restore the normal flow of urine.

What Happens During Radical Prostatectomy

You will have general anesthesia during your prostate surgery. Your surgical team inserts a catheter to drain urine.

After your surgeon removes your prostate, they check it under a microscope to see if cancer has extended beyond the edge of the prostate or into the seminal vesicles or lymph nodes. If it has, the cancer may have spread. In that case, you may need other treatment.

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An enlarged prostate can also be the cause of other problems. If the enlarged prostate is causing symptoms, the best treatment would be a natural remedy. In the meantime, there are treatments for a wide range of conditions that cause a man to experience pain. A common surgical procedure involves an electric loop, laser, or electro-stimulation. The procedure is a safe and effective option for treating enlarged or symptomatic BPH.

The Initial Causes Side Effects Of Removing Prostate Gland

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.

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What Happens After Urethral Sling Surgery

Patients usually recover from this surgery quickly. Its best to limit demanding activities for approximately six weeks after surgery to avoid having the sling loosen before healing is complete.

After surgery, there may be swelling that makes it difficult to urinate. Youll have a catheter coming out of the urethra for two to three days. After this, the catheter is removed and just about everyone is able to void on their own. In rare cases, the catheter may have to be reinserted for a few days or up to a week if you cannot urinate.

After the swelling goes down, youll gradually be able to urinate on your own and empty your bladder. However, your normal urination pattern may not return for a few weeks.

The majority of men whove had this procedure have been cured of their urinary incontinence and no longer use pads. The others usually improve to the point where they dont use as many pads as they were before.

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Was The Surgery Successful

The prostate gland will be examined under a microscope in the laboratory after it has been removed. The doctor will check the grade of the cancer cells again. and check that the edges of the prostate are clear of cancer, called ‘checking the margins’.

Negative margins: No cancer cells.Positive margins: Cancer cells found at the edge of the prostate.

These tests are used to predict your response to the treatment along with PSA checks. Your PSA level should drop within weeks of surgery.

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What Is A Radical Prostatectomy

Surgery to remove the prostate is called a radical prostatectomy. Before the operation, the surgeon will explain what will happen and tell you about the possible side effects. They may also tell you about other treatments that may help in your situation, such as radiotherapy.

The aim of the surgery is to remove all of the cancer cells. It is usually only done when the cancer is contained within the prostate and has not spread to the surrounding area.

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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How Effective Is Turp And What Consequences Can It Have

Studies have shown that TURP can permanently reduce prostate-related problems. Nine months after having TURP, about 75 out of 100 men only have mild symptoms. For example, at night they only need to get up to go to the bathroom once, or not at all. The other men usually still benefit from TURP, but the effect is smaller. Side effects are common, though.

Some men are afraid that they will have erection problems after surgery. Although there is no guarantee that this wont happen, research has shown that permanent erection problems are rare. Some men even feel more comfortable with their sexuality after surgery because they no longer have bothersome symptoms such as having to go to the bathroom a lot.

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Recovering From Prostate Surgery

To treat prostate cancer, doctors perform tens of thousands of surgeries each year. In recent years, one procedure called a radical prostatectomy has become a fine art, says J. Brantley Thrasher, MD, a professor of urologic surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. While side effects like incontinence and impotence are still major concerns, most patients respond well to the surgery, Thrasher says.

In fact, many men respond almost too well. They feel so good after the surgery that they start to push themselves too hard, he says. One of his recent patients went on a two-mile jog while still wearing a catheter. I told him he needed to slow down and rest for a while.

If you have a radical prostatectomy in your future, youll want to know what to expect. Heres a closer look at this procedure. As youll see, your life wont necessarily take a turn for the worse after prostate surgery. In fact, it just might get better.

Why do surgeons perform radical prostatectomies?

According to the Food and Drug Administration, radical prostatectomy is considered to be the most definitive treatment for many men with prostate cancer, a disease that kills about 30,000 American men each year. Depending on their age and the stage of their cancer, however, some men do well with a less invasive treatment.

How should I prepare for surgery?

What happens during a radical prostatectomy?

What will happen during recovery in the hospital?

References

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How Serious Is My Cancer

If you have prostate cancer, the doctor will want to find out how far it has spread. This is called the stage of the cancer. You may have heard other people say that their cancer was stage 1 or stage 2. Your doctor will want to find out the stage of your cancer to help decide what types of treatment might be best for you.

The stage is based on the growth or spread of the cancer through the prostate, and if it has spread to other parts of your body. It also includes your blood PSA level and the grade of the cancer. The prostate cancer cells are given a grade, based on how they look under a microscope. Those that look very different from normal cells are given a higher grade and are likely to grow faster. The grade of your cancer might be given as a Gleason score or a Grade Group . Ask your doctor to explain the grade of your cancer. The grade also can helpdecide which treatments might be best for you.

Your cancer can be stage 1, 2, 3, or 4. The lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. A higher number, like stage 4, means a more serious cancer that has spread outside the prostate.

If your cancer hasnt spread to other parts of the body, it might also be given a risk group. The risk group is based on the extent of the cancer in the prostate, your PSA level, and the results of the prostate biopsy. The risk group can help tell if other tests should be done, and what the best treatment options might be.

Considerations When Opting For Surgery

Before agreeing with any surgery, knowing its benefits and risks is vital. It is even more important when the surgery is not urgent, like in the cases of proctectomy.

Thus, one should ask a doctor about various treatment options, prostate surgery recovery, and what to expect after prostate surgery.

Sometimes prostate surgery is one of the options. Thus, it is important to ask a doctor if it would be better to have some watchful waiting.

If one goes for prostate removal, one should know about the benefits, prostate surgery complications, the side effects of living without a prostate, how long prostate cancer surgery is, its impact on sex life, etc.

Additionally, one should inquire about all the surgical options available and consider the risk and benefits of each of the options.

Quite often, doctors may also help in making the decision. Here good communication with a healthcare provider is the key.

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What Types Of Surgery Are There

Radical prostatectomy involves removing the prostate, part of the urethra and the seminal vesicles. After the prostate is removed, the urethra will be rejoined to the bladder and the vas deferens will be sealed.

Some people are able to have nerve-sparing surgery, which aims to avoid damaging the nerves that control erections. Your doctor will discuss whether this is an option for you. Nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy is more suitable for lower-grade cancers and is only possible if the cancer is not in or close to these nerves. It works best for those who had strong erections before diagnosis. Problems with erections are common even if nerve-sparing surgery is performed.

Cancer cells can spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes. For intermediate-risk or high-risk prostate cancer, nearby lymph nodes may also be removed .

How Will Sex After Prostate Cancer Be Different

One of the treatments of prostate cancer is to remove a portion of the prostate or the totality of the gland before cancer spreads beyond it You may have heard that the tumor is inside the capsule, but moving fast.

The procedure is known as radical prostatectomy and involves incisions, either above the perineum or on the lower abdomen.

Newer surgeries are sometimes robot-assisted, and we also have laparoscopic prostatectomies that do not require a large incision.

The end result is the removal of a portion or the totality of the prostate, and certain surgical approaches may be associated with a lower risk of nerve damage than others. Youll see this referred to as nerve-sparing prostatectomies throughout this guide.

As soon as a man is informed that he will need to go through a Radical Prostatectomy, the likelihood is that one of the very first questions will be about the effect that it will have on their sex life. In a lot of mens minds, the surgery is thought of like its castration.

However, now that there are multiple types of nerve-sparing prostate surgery, many men have found they can maintain sexual activity after surgery.

Likewise, there are plenty of sexual activities open to those who do find they still have the desire, even with some physical changes. We want to help you understand the changes that men can experience after prostate surgery, whether that is physical or mental.

For more information on prostate surgery, click here.

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Benefits And Risks Of Prostatectomy

Prostatectomy is surgery that removes part or all of a mans prostate gland. Its a treatment option for prostate cancer and BPH . If prostate removal is in your future, its important to weigh the risks and benefits. This includes understanding the possible prostatectomy side effects that may affect your life. Your doctor is best able to help you through the decision-making process, which will cover at least some of these topics.