11 days out after Radical Prostatectomy

Hey Kombi, Have you ever considered having the artificial sphincter fitted, or if the incontinence is not too bad, the male sling. If your system not settled down after a few years, maybe time to fix the last part of the male problem??

geoff90305...no I've not consider any further fixing...I think they have already 'fixed' too much as it is...after 4 years of being fixed I'm happy just to carry on as is...

Thanks for sharing...backups are definitely in the plan.  

hey Double dee

Your incontinence trouble will go. I was 54 and it went after a while - possibly 8 -12 weeks. I got low about it but it does go. I'm 18 months on and just occsisionally leak, when i cough or something. keep the faith.

well done for posting 

 

You had your surgery a month ago and you're still incontinent.

What did you expect? A return to continence so soon?

My research indicates that few men get continent again in a few weeks, most take months and some up to 1-2 years.

I had RARP 4 months ago and over time moved from thick pads to thinner pads to less pads to one pad. Almost 4 months to the day I wore no pads and still don't. Occasionally I leak a little, hardly noticeable.

Give healing time. Do kegel exercises if you wish. I don't believe in them. I thought the physio I saw was marketing a pseudo medical service at an overly inflated price. I saw a physio2 times pre-op and not once since then.

Whatever you do, don't limit your fluid intake to minimise leakage because you'll be doing your kidneys a disservice.

Speaking of penises, has your General Practioner of PCP suggested ED meds to get your penis to behave as it did pre-op?

Barney,

I am not on any ED meds now and I never used them before RP because I never had problems with me erections.

I am seeing my urologist next week for my first 6 weeks PSA test and I hope he will suggest something. I as mentioned it before my urologist and his practice does not have any ED protocol as I was told before surgery when asked him about it. 

My whole genital area is still numb and I do not have any feelings in my penis when I or my wife touch it.

i am wondering if it is to early to start penile rehab when I still have problem with incontinece? Hope someone might share his experience.

Now is to late. I made mistake and have to deal with consequences.

Once again, in my opinion, RP was not worth of problems caused going thru surgery. I totaly REGRETTED doing it.

I made biggest mistake of my life.

After reading your experience and others similar, l've cancel my appointment with my surgeon for robotic prostatectomy and decided to treat my protate cancer gleason 3+4=7 by travelling to Germany for teansurethral hyperthermia. Thank you for sharing and trust you will get a recovery in the not to distant future

Thanks for the hope that in several months I can get to a light pad with little leakage if any.  Very promising.  Curious as to why you say the Kegel excersises are not worth doing.

I hear you regret the surgery.

May I ask how old are you and what did the biopsy indicate that led the urologist to suggest surgery?

regarding ED, I suggest you find a PCP or a GP that focuses on men's health issues. By this I don't mean the urologist. A PCP or GP will address your situation and should prescribe Cialis or similar.

As to the numbness you mention, do you have any pain in or near the bladder when you are mobile or when you are at rest?

 

Before agreeing to travel for the German treatment, have you researched the long term results of such treatment.

You mention that surgery has associate problems. Please don't underestimate the problems with radiation and hormone therapy.

I am 51. Had TURP on June 1st and was incidentally diagnosed with Gleason 6. TRUS biopsy done on August 11th, standard 12 cores taken. 1 of 12 came positive but with higher Gleason score 7 (4+3) 8%.

Nuclear medicine bone scan negative. Had very low PSA: 0.7

Consulted 2 urologist surgeons and RO and all 3 suggested surgery as best option for me. My wife who is an RN and works at different urology clinic asked her docs and all suggested surgery also.

I personally wanted to go RT route.

I am in very good health and very active.

I still have some lingering pain in my right side of abdomen, right testicle and between penis and right groin. Post surgery time I was walking almost every day at least 2 miles with my dog. My social life is almost non existent now, work from home and not going anywhere except to the neighborhood park with my dog.

While wearing pull ups and pads I do not feel confident to go out of my house. Very depressing time for me in this holiday season.

MK

I am sorry for your post op pain.

The reason why you have such pain is because of the manipulation of nerves by the urologist during surgery as well as the whole scrotum-penis-groin area is now compacted when compared to  what it was like pre surgery. This is because the urethra was cut to remove the prostate. And then reconnected. This required the bladder to be pulled down and the result is the bladder and testicles are far closer than they were pre-op.

The pain you have is no doubt in part or in whole bladder pain. I had the similar pain post-op. It stopped me from walking more than 20 metres. My urologist considered what I had and replied "this is not common in my experience, maybe 5% of patients suffer this, but I know of one med that deals with it: Amitriptilyne. Take 10mg twice a day. Note it is often prescribed as an anti depressant when used in doses of 75 mg twice a day, but at 10mg it does not work as an anti depressant, but as an agent against nerve pain".

4 days after I took it I felt far, far better.

I recommend you try it.

Pelvic floor exercises I was told helps a person control the urge to urinate. This includes controlling the urge to urinate when there is little to discharge.

Perhaps they make sense to some. I was unlucky inasmuch as I saw a slick salesman who pretended to be something resembling a doctor.

Of course some folk benefit from such exercises, each to their own. All I recall is that pre-op the "quack" at least that is how I viewed him, insisted on "no tea or coffee following the surgery for weeks, lest they irritate the bladder".

My urologist saw me in hospital post op and queried why I had no coffee cup in my food tray. After I explained this to him he said: "here's what i suggest. Why you're under my care eat and drink what you want. You my go to the toilet more often, BIG DEAL! You may leak in bed, again BIG DEAL! You have enough going on without imposing another consraint like 'NO TEA NO COFFEE' on you.

When you are dscharged you can follow the physio's edicts, if you want. But I would not. What possible benefit is there in the long run by denying yourself tea or coffee"?

I told him he made perfect sense.

That day I cancelled my forthcoming kegel appointment.