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What Is Removed During Prostate Surgery

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Urinary Problems After Surgery

Radical Prostatectomy (Prostate Cancer Surgery)

Leaking urine

Most men cant control their bladder properly when their catheter is first removed. This is because surgery can damage the muscles and nerves that control when you urinate.You might just leak a few drops if you exercise, cough or sneeze . Or you might leak more and need to wear absorbent pads, especially in the weeks after your surgery.Leaking urine usually improves with time. Most men start to see an improvement one to six months after surgery. Some men leak urine for a year or more and others never fully recover, but there are things that can help and ways you can manage it.

Difficulty urinating

A few men may find it difficult to urinate after surgery . This can be caused by scarring around the opening of the bladder or the urethra .Some men find they suddenly and painfully cant urinate. This is called acute urine retention and it needs treating quickly to prevent further problems. If this happens, call your doctor or nurse, or go to your nearest accident and emergency department.

Watch Pauls story for one mans experience of managing urinary problems after surgery below.

Sexual problems after surgery

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Prostate Removal Side Effects

Urinary incontinence

It is a common but temporary effect of prostate surgery. Usually, the symptoms improve within a year after the prostate removal.

Sexual dysfunctions

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common prostate removal side effects. About 40% of men lose some erectile function after radical prostatectomy, but they see gradual improvements within 2-3 years.

Infertility

Other side effects of prostate removal

In rare cases, bowel function is affected and dry orgasms appear.

The Morning Of Your Surgery

Instructions for Drinking Before Your Surgery

You can drink a total of 12 ounces of water between midnight and 2 hours before your scheduled arrival time. Do not drink anything else.Do not drink anything starting 2 hours before your scheduled arrival time. This includes water.

Take Your Medications As Instructed

A member of your care team will tell you which medications to take the morning of your surgery. Take only those medications with a sip of water. Depending on what medications you take, this may be all, some, or none of your usual morning medications.

Shower With a 4% CHG Solution Antiseptic Skin Cleanser

Shower with a 4% CHG solution antiseptic skin cleanser before you leave for the hospital. Use it the same way you did the night before.

Do not put on any lotion, cream, deodorant, makeup, powder, perfume, or cologne after your shower.

Things to remember

  • Wear something comfortable and loose-fitting.
  • If you wear contact lenses, wear your glasses instead. Wearing contact lenses during surgery can damage your eyes.
  • Dont wear any metal objects. Remove all jewelry, including body piercings. The equipment used during your surgery can cause burns if it touches metal.
  • Dont put on any lotion, cream, deodorant, makeup, powder, perfume, or cologne.
  • Leave valuable items at home.

What to bring

Once youre in the hospital

Get dressed for surgery

When its time to change for surgery, youll get a hospital gown, robe, and nonskid socks to wear.

Meet With a Nurse

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Bilateral Orchiectomy Or Surgical Castration

This is another type of prostate surgery, in which both testicles are removed. It is recommended in order to treat or prevent testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and male breast cancer. Bilateral orchiectomy lowers testosterone, the hormone that causes prostate and breast cancer to spread more quickly. By decreasing the levels of testosterone, cancer may spread at a lower rate, and some symptoms, such as bone pain, may be more tolerable.

This procedure usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes and most people usually go home the day of the surgery, as it has a short recovery time.

Treatment Options For Urinary Incontinence Can Include:

Prostate surgery
  • Pelvic floor physical therapy. These specialized physical therapists are trained to help men strengthen their pelvic floor muscles. These muscles help you control the flow of urine. The exercises are called Kegel exercises just as you might do bicep curls to strengthen your arm muscles Kegel exercises help you learn to tighten and relax the muscles that control your flow.
  • Bladder training. The bladder is a muscular organ that can be trained. A pelvic floor physical therapist or your urologist will provide simple behavioral changes to help retrain your bladder.
  • Medication. Prescription medicines help the muscles in your bladder and sphincter . These medications work well for men with urge incontinence.
  • Surgery. Surgery may be scheduled if you have a blockage. Other surgical procedures include injecting collagen to strengthen the urinary sphincter that controls urine release or implanting an artificial urinary sphincter.

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Preparation For Prostatectomy Surgery

During the weeks before the surgery, patients should stop taking anything that prevents blood clotting, including aspirin, ibuprofen, warfarin, vitamin E, and fish oil. Ideally, they should also stop smoking several weeks before surgery so as to help speed recovery.

Patients may also be asked to take a laxative or use an enema on the morning of the surgery to clean out their colon. In addition, the doctor may administer an antibiotic to prevent infection.

How Is A Radical Prostatectomy Performed

The prostate is inside the pelvis and is surrounded by many other organs, including the rectum, the bladder, and the sphincter. Many important nerves and blood vessels also surround the prostate.

There are several methods for performing a radical prostatectomy. The one you undergo will depend on the location of your tumor or tumors, the extent of your cancer, and your general health and life stage.

All of these surgeries are done in the hospital and require anesthesia to prevent you from feeling pain. General anesthesia is usually used, so youll be asleep during the surgery. Epidural or spinal anesthesia can also be used. With this type of anesthesia, you cant feel anything below your waist. Sometimes, both types of anesthesia are used to control potential bleeding and to provide the best pain management.

The three main types of radical prostatectomy surgery are:

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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.

Success Of Radical Prostatectomy

Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy | Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The goal of radical prostatectomy is to cure prostate cancer. However, prostate cancer cure is only possible from prostatectomy if prostate cancer is limited to the prostate.

During radical prostatectomy, the removed prostate is examined under a microscope to see if prostate cancer has reached the edge of the prostate. If so, the prostate cancer has probably spread. In these cases, further treatments may be needed.

Men with no evidence of prostate cancer spread have an 85% chance of surviving 10 years after radical prostatectomy.Ã

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What Is An Artificial Urinary Sphincter And How Does It Help With Urinary Incontinence

An artificial urinary sphincter can help men who have moderate to severe urinary incontinence due to poorly functioning muscle or sphincter valve after prostate cancer surgery.

The AUS has three parts:

  • An inflatable cuff that is placed around the upper urethra. The cuff closes off the urethra to prevent leakage of urine.
  • A pump that is inserted into the scrotum. Its completely on the inside and not visible, and the pump controls the opening and closing of the cuff.
  • A small pressure-regulating balloon that is placed in the abdomen, under the muscles. The balloon maintains fluid under pressure within the urethral cuff to pressurize the system and hold urine back.

If you have this surgery, youll press on the pump when you feel the need to pee. This opens the cuff to allow urine to pass. When youre done peeing, the cuff automatically closes again on its own.

The AUS procedure provides a very good and satisfactory result in 90% of cases. Risks are uncommon and include:

  • Failure of the device .

All of these would require additional surgery.

How Bad Is The Pain After Prostate Surgery

The level of pain is lower than that of open prostatectomy, due to smaller incisions. However, you will be administered pain medication both orally and intravenously, through an IV. Make sure you have someone to pick you up from the hospital, as you wont be able to drive right away. Ask your doctor to recommend some pain medication and dosages that you can take from home most common ones are Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Even though the recovery is fast, you should get plenty of rest and not force yourself with lifting weights or exercises in the first few weeks.

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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.

What Happens During My Operation

Surgical Techniques to Optimize Early Urinary Continence Recovery Post ...

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%.

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Radical Prostatectomy Perineal Approach

  • You’ll be placed in a supine position in which the hips and knees will be fully bent with the legs spread apart and elevated with the feet resting on straps. Stirrups will be placed under your legs for support.

  • An upside-down, U-shaped incision will be made in the perineal area .

  • The doctor will try to minimize any trauma to the nerve bundles in the prostate area.

  • The prostate gland and any abnormal-looking tissue in the surrounding area will be removed.

  • The seminal vesicles may be removed if there’s concern about abnormal tissue in the vesicles.

  • Advantages Of Ralp Over Traditional Surgery Include:

    • Small incisions
    • Less blood loss than in traditional surgeries
    • Less pain than an open incision surgery
    • Less risk of infection over other kinds of surgery
    • Shorter stay in the hospital
    • Faster recovery at home

    The magnification system provides your surgeon with a clear view of the tiny blood vessels, nerves, and muscles surrounding your prostate to help minimize side effects after your surgery.

    Not every man who needs prostate removal surgery will be a candidate for robotic surgery. Each prostate cancer patients situation is unique, with some patients requiring a different surgical method either traditional open surgery or, less frequently, radical perineal prostatectomy.

    If you have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are looking for a second opinion on treatment options before undergoing surgery, consult with one of the prostate cancer specialists at Compass Oncology located throughout the Portland-Vancouver area.

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    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.

    Read Real Stories Of Men Who Underwent Treatment Of Enlarged Prostate At New York Urology Specialists

    Will lymph nodes be removed during robotic radical prostatectomy?

    We offer treatment for prostate problems, including slow urine stream, frequent urination at night, difficulty emptying the bladder, and other problems to patients within driving distance to our offices as well as from other states and countries. Our patients come from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and over 70 countries worldwide.

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    What Is The Recovery Time After Radical Prostatectomy

    You may feel tired for a few weeks after surgery. Light exercise such as walking can help with the healing process. You should avoid heavy lifting for several weeks.

    You may have urinary incontinence or leakage for weeks to months after the surgery, although most people recover continence after surgery. Recovery of sexual function is expected to take months. Your doctor may start you on a medication to help with recovery of erections.

    Youll need regular follow-ups with your healthcare provider to monitor for evidence of cancer recurrence and manage effects from the surgery. They can work with you to improve any problems with erectile dysfunction or bladder control.

    What Are The Odds You Will Get Prostate Cancer

    What are Prostate Cancer Risk Factors? One man in six will get prostate cancer. But which men and why? What makes some men predisposed to prostate cancer, while others are never diagnosed? Age, race, lifestyle, family history, where you live, and what you eat can be risk factors. Having one or more of the risk factors described on this page is not a guarantee that you will get prostate cancer, but it does mean your chances of developing prostate cancer are higher.

    What are Prostate Cancer Risk Factors? One man in six will get prostate cancer. But which men and why? What makes some men predisposed to prostate cancer, while others are never diagnosed? Age, race, lifestyle, family history, where you live, and what you eat can be risk factors. Having one or more of the risk factors described on this page is not a guarantee that you will get prostate cancer, but it does mean your chances of developing prostate cancer are higher.

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    When You Might Have A Radical Prostatectomy

    Your doctor might recommend a radical prostatectomy if:

    • your cancer hasn’t spread outside the prostate gland. This is localised prostate cancer
    • your cancer has broken through the covering of the prostate and spread to the area just outside the prostate gland. This is locally advanced prostate cancer
    • you are well enough to have this operation

    The aim of a radical prostatectomy operation is to cure prostate cancer.

    Surgery For Prostate Cancer

    TURP (Transurethral resection of the prostate)

    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.

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    What Are The Benefits To A Patient

    The surgery usually includes removing the prostate, seminal vesicles and ends of the vas deferens. For intermediate and high-risk patients, the pelvic lymph nodes are also removed. Patients typically experience significantly less pain and less blood loss than those undergoing conventional open incision procedures. Patients also tend to enjoy quicker recovery times. A traditional, open radical prostatectomy requires two days hospitalization and recovery lasting about 2 months. With robotic-assisted surgery, the recovery time is as little as 2-3 weeks. Depending on age and health, most patients can also expect to have their potency return with or without the use of oral medications.

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