The Prostate Gland And Prostate Cancer
The prostate gland is a male reproductive organ that sits around the urethra, the outlet tube for urine, just below the bladder. The glands surface is usually smooth and regular. The prostate is about the size of a walnut.
The prostate gland releases a clear fluid into the urethra that represents up to a third of the semen during ejaculation. One of the functions of the fluid is to carry the sperm and help sperm movement.
The prostate also helps the drive of semen during ejaculation.
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Why Does It Take So Long To Recover Erections After The Very Best Surgery
A number of explanations have been proposed for this phenomenon of delayed recovery, including mechanically induced nerve stretching that may occur during prostate retraction, thermal damage to nerve tissue caused by electrocoagulative cautery during surgical dissection, injury to nerve tissue amid attempts to control surgical bleeding, and local inflammatory effects associated with surgical trauma.
Why Does Prostate Surgery Cause Erectile Dysfunction
An erection is caused by the brain sending sexual arousal signals to nerves in the penis which stimulate muscles to relax. This allows blood to flow to tissue in the penis, which causes it to become erect.
Erectile dysfunction refers to a condition that occurs when a man cant achieve an erection or maintain an erection for sexual intercourse. Many factors can contribute to erectile dysfunction including problems with the nervous system, blood vessels and hormones.
Prostate cancer is commonly a slow-growing cancer. Doctors will recommend surgery if they believe that the cancer is contained in the prostate gland and hasn’t invaded the surrounding areas. One surgery used to remove the prostate gland is called a radical prostatectomy. Your surgeon will remove your prostate gland, the surrounding tissues and the tubes that carry semen.
There are two small clusters of nerves which control erections that are located on both sides of the prostate. These nerves may become injured during the operation. Your surgeon may also purposefully remove these nerves if there’s a chance that the cancer has invaded them. If these set of nerves are removed, then you wont be able to become erect without being assisted by medical devices.
There is also a type of prostate surgery called nerve sparing prostatectomy, where both bundle of nerves around the prostate are avoided. However, not everyone is suitable for this surgery, and eligibility also depends on the size and location of the cancer.
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How To Return To An Active Sex Life After Prostate Cancer Treatment
No matter the cancer, treatments often cause side effects that affect patients quality of life. But with prostate cancer, the potential side effects can be particularly concerning to men who are trying to decide which approach is right for them. Surgery, radiation therapy and other treatments may impact a patients sex life, causing challenges like low sex drive, loss of penis length, dry orgasm or low sperm counts. Despite the angst these issues may cause, experts say most of these side effects can be managed and many men have a good chance of returning to a full sex life after prostate cancer treatment.
Unfortunately, sexual dysfunction is a possibility for nearly all treatment options for prostate cancer, including surgery, says Scott Shelfo, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Urology at our hospital near Atlanta.;The degree of dysfunction depends on many factors, including the patients overall health, co-existing medical problems, as well as the patients level of sexual function and ability before treatment.
I Don’t Have Erections After Surgery Am I Impotent For Life
Think of your erections as a well conditioned athlete, who has been injured. This injury is going to take time to heal. You should try to remain patient, and remember that this will be an ongoing battle for many months and even years. Rehabilitation of potency is much like a sports injury. Proper conditioning and medical treatment may potentially speed up recovery, but it is not guaranteed.
If you see any fullness in your erections in the months after your robotic prostatectomy surgery, this is a positive sign that some of the nerves are working or re-growing. You are taking the first steps down the potency recovery path. Remember though, as shown in the previous table for open prostatectomy, 25-55% of men do not regain erections.
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Achieving Orgasm After Radical Prostatectomy
Men worry about erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy, the operation that involves removing the prostate gland as a way to treat prostate cancer.;Its a legitimate concern. Men, their spouses and partners, and their surgeons should talk about erectile dysfunction before and after the surgery. Almost all men will experience erectile dysfunction for several months to a year after a radical prostatectomy, although todays nerve-sparing operation has decreased the number of cases when its permanent.
But orgasm after radical prostatectomy? Its often even not on the radar screen. Dr. Ravi Kacker thinks that should change.
Sometimes orgasm gets forgotten because everyone is so focused on erectile dysfunction, says Dr. Kacker, a urologist and fellow in male sexual medicine at Harvard-affiliated BethIsraelDeaconessMedical Center. But for somemaybe mostmen and their partners, achieving orgasm can be as important as erectionsor even more so for having a healthy sex life.
And, says Dr. Kacker, theres good news.;Orgasms after radical prostatectomy may feel qualitatively different for most men, but they dont need to be any less pleasurable or satisfying.
Nutrition And Dietary Supplements
Some studies have suggested that eating a healthy diet that is rich in vegetables and lower in animal fats might be helpful, but more research is needed to be sure. However, we do know that a healthy diet can have positive effects on your overall health, with benefits that extend beyond your risk of prostate or other cancers.
So far, no dietary supplements have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of prostate cancer progressing or coming back. In fact, some research has suggested that some supplements, such as selenium, might even be harmful. This doesnt mean that no supplements will help, but its important to know that none have been proven to do so.
Dietary supplements are not regulated like medicines in the United States they do not have to be proven effective before being sold, although there are limits on what theyre allowed to claim they can do. If you are thinking about taking any type of nutritional supplement, talk to your health care team. They can help you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that could be harmful.
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What If My Incontinence Persists
When bladder leaks persist more than a year, other treatments may be needed to improve the urinary control.
Though rarely needed, Dr. David Samadi and his team provide a range of treatment options for men experiencing long-term incontinence after prostate surgery.
A variety of surgical procedures can be used to restore urinary control should your symptoms last more than a year.
Implants That Are Inflatable
Between both types of implants, blow up implants are much more common.
When you require an erection, you can inflate the implant and also decrease it when not required.
2 hollow cyndrical tubes were created to be put inside the penis, and also a liquid storage tank was created for placement under the abdominal wall surface.
Theyll be attached to a pump and also a launch shutoff that regulates the flow of the fluid to and from the cyndrical tubes. An effective erection calls for pumping fluid from the reservoir into the implant.
When youre done, you can release the valve to let the liquid flow back right into the reservoir.
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What Will I Learn By Reading This
When you have treatment for your prostate cancer, you may have erectile dysfunction also known as impotence. Erectile dysfunction is a very common side effect . Side effects from prostate cancer treatment are different from one man to the next. They may also be different from one treatment to the next. Some men have no erectile dysfunction. The good news is that there are ways to deal with erectile dysfunction. In this booklet you will learn:
- What erectile dysfunction is
- Why prostate cancer treatment can cause erectile dysfunction
- What can be done about erectile dysfunction
- How erectile dysfunction may affect your sex life
- What your partner can expect
It is important for you to learn how to deal with erectile dysfunction so that you can continue to have a satisfying intimate relationship.
Recent Findings About Regaining Potency After Radical Prostatectomy
It is important to remember that regaining erectile function takes time after radical robotic prostatectomy. Most studies in the literature use endpoints of 18-36 months after prostate cancer surgery. Nerve tissue can be easily damaged during robotic prostatectomy, regardless of the skill of the surgeon, and takes a long time to regenerate. It is believed that early postoperative medical therapy can aid an earlier return to potency.
Dr. Ahlering, a physician with UC Irvine Medical in Orange County, CA. has pioneered the use of electrocautery-free preservation of the neurovascular bundles which are essential for the return of potency after prostate surgery. A recent study by Dr. Patrick Walsh and associates at John Hopkins has shown that mono and bipolar cautery near the potency nerves severely impact the erectile function of dogs. Mono and bipolar cautery are routinely used by many institutions to limit the bleeding during surgery by heat-sealing or ‘cauterizing’ the bleeding vessels.
The nerves for potency are intertwined with a bundle of blood vessels, which must be controlled during prostate cancer surgery to prevent large blood losses. Thus to preserve the nerves of potency, a surgeon also must prevent the bleeding of these vessels also. Cautery is considered a standard method of sealing the blood vessels, allowing the nerve bundles to now be properly visualized.
For comparison we show the standard data on open prostatectomy potency :
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Talk About How You Feel
First off, it is essential to evaluate how you feel.;
It is vital to talk about it if you want to improve.;
Most men prefer not to talk about this with a professional, and they avoid the topic with their partners.;
However, this position will only make things worse with your partner and cause anxiety to you.;
After talking it out with a professional, you will see how easy it is.;
They are trained to answer your questions and give you recommendations and a variety of options.
Sometimes men are anxious about erections after surgery because they read so much about it.;
Their anxiety plays against them, turning a weaker erection function into a complete failure.;
Thus, one of the first aspects to consider is your mindset, feelings, and emotions.;
Therapy can help a lot if youre struggling.;
It is sometimes appropriate to incorporate your partner in the talking, but it is not always required.;
What Have I Learned By Reading This
You learned about:
- Why prostate cancer treatment can cause erectile dysfunction
- What can be done about erectile dysfunction
- How erectile dysfunction may affect your sex life
- What your partner can expect
If you have any questions, please talk to your doctor or health care team. It is important that you understand what is going on with your prostate cancer treatment. This knowledge will help you take better care of yourself and feel more in control. It will also help you manage any side effects you may have from your treatment.
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Stressed Out With Life How Long Does Erectile Dysfunction Last After Prostate Surgery
Its difficult to enter the mood when youre bewildered by obligations at work as well as house. There are various parts of your body that are impacted by anxiety, including your penis.
Tension can be lowered by transforming your lifestyle so you can really feel far better and also unwind. Exercise on a regular basis, obtain plenty of sleep, and seek the support of a professional if necessary.
Focus On The Sensation
It has actually been found that guys with erectile dysfunction that are dealing with psychological reasons react well to methods fixated experience instead of efficiency.
It is feasible for more information about your body and also the body of your partner over numerous sessions using sensate focus exercises. Sense focusing exercises are created to introduce you to different parts of your body and also your partners as progressively as feasible.
The sensation of expecting brand-new things is an exceptional means to decrease anxiousness.
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Erectile Dysfunction After Prostate Surgery
For the study, Schiff and colleagues examined the medical records of 138 men who underwent radical prostatectomy and were evaluated for erectile function at follow-up visits to the doctor.
At each visit, the men were asked to rate their level of erectile function on a 5-level scale, where 1 corresponded to normal functioning and 5 to no erections.
Prior to surgery, two-thirds of the men said they had normal erectile functioning . The others put themselves at level 2, meaning “diminished erections, routinely sufficient for intercourse.”
At subsequent follow-up visits, five of these men had normal functioning and 11 recovered enough to have intercourse, although they had diminished erections.
And 87 men said they had level 4 or level 5 erections, corresponding to partial erections not sufficient for intercourse or no erections, respectively, two years after surgery.
Of these men, one recovered normal erections and nine recovered diminished erections, routinely sufficient for intercourse. Eleven recovered partial erections occasionally satisfactory for intercourse.
After about three years, though, men with the most severe erectile dysfunction showed almost no improvement, Schiff says. But men who had partial erections that were occasionally sufficient for intercourse continued to make progress for up to four years after surgery.
Differences Between Hcp Opinions
Importantly, we found considerable differences between HCP opinions regarding lead roles in the initiation, monitoring and follow-up of ED management; such confusion could easily lead to inadequate management and contradictory advice, as was evident from the menâs survey results. These findings may reflect financial considerations and, in the case of nurses, whether or not they have a prescribing role. The increased role of primary care in the follow-up of patients with prostate cancer requires unified management guidelines and support from Clinical Commissioning Groups regarding GP prescribing of relevant treatments with local guidelines and shared care protocols. While urologists and specialist ED clinics were most commonly identified as being responsible for prescribing ED treatment, this management route inevitably leads to delays, due to the need for specialist referral and limited access to specialist ED clinics.
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Erectile Dysfunction Or Impotence Post
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Impotence is simply described as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. Impotence affects 20 million American men or about 10% of the entire male population and 35% of the men over the age of 60. An erection is created when the penis fills with blood much like a tire fills with air. Blood is pumped into the penis and not allowed out, and the more blood that is pumped in, the firmer the erection. The reasons for lack of erections are either the lack of appropriate filling of the penis or inappropriate emptying.
For men who have had radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, the nerves that control the flow of blood into and out of the penis may be cut or removed. These nerves do not control the sensation to the penis, nor are they responsible for the orgasm that occurs with sexual intercourse. Only the firmness of the penis is affected.
If nerve sparing was attempted during your procedure, the return of erections could take as long as 6 to 18 months. Partial erections may return earlier and may be a sign of subsequent complete return of function, although not a guarantee. Partial recovery is actually quite common and lends itself to some other options for treatment.
Medical Treatment
Yohimbine
Injection Therapy
Urethral Suppositories
MUSE was released in early 1997 and more experience will be gained over the first few years that it is available to the public through their physicians.
Vacuum Devices
What Is New?
Why Is Rehabilitation Important
Whether you are single, or in a relationship, you should have the opportunity to discuss penile rehabilitation with your doctor or specialist nurse.;Self pleasuring is important for many people and this can play a part in rehabilitation. This might help to give you confidence and to become aware of the changes that your treatment might have caused.
It might still be worth talking to your doctor even if you are not sexually active, or dont plan to be.;This is because penile rehabilitation has benefits in terms of keeping the penis healthy.
Ideally, rehabilitation should start soon after your prostate cancer treatment, or in some situations before treatment. For example, you should start rehabilitation within 3 to 6 months of starting hormone therapy or radiotherapy. Or within the first 3 months of surgery to remove the prostate gland. ;
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Restoring Sexual Function After Prostate Surgery
2 Minute Read
If you have prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate, you might undergo prostate surgery also called a prostatectomy. Like all surgeries, this one comes with potential risks. The Prostate Cancer Foundation reports that erectile dysfunction is the most common side effect of a prostatectomy. Fortunately, there are ways to restore sexual function during prostate surgery recovery.
But first, learn about why you might need a prostatectomy, what happens during the surgery, and what to expect during the recovery process.