After effects from Robotic Radical Prostatectomy

Hi

I went through radical prosectomy using Divinchi Robot method in 2011. I was 56 all i wanted at the time was the cancer gone. I had the talk regarding different options for treatment,possible side effects. Dry orgasms ,incontinence,probably not really listening.. I was quite positive until i suffered all the above. Didnt deal with it well, you dont really know how these effects you as a man until you experience it,marriage really struggled. Contemplated suicide but never quite got the nerve to do it. My advice if sex is a big part of you and your marriage go for the least invasive method and accept the risks regarding further cancer. For some people its no big deal, dont do sex very often, marriage is based on real friendship, you will probably cope with radical treatment. Those reading this site probably very concerned about side effects but options available now are much better. You have to listen to the best advice available but make sure you get as much opinion as possible.

When first told you have Cancer it is such a shock. For me all I could think about was ok, how do I get rid of it. I was a little preemptive and went down to the hospital and got my results prior to my appointment with my urologist. So I already knew what he was going to tell me. I'm the "trust but verify" type. It's an absolute shame we can't trust the urologist to shoot straight with us. They should be required to tell us what they can do and then disclose ALL the negative side effects. They should also be required to encourage patients to explore all options available (perhaps even handing the patient a list of websites to other options available).

My uro told me my only choice was radical prostatectomy. I had to ask what the side effects were. He only admitted to several of the other side effects when I asked about them. So disappointing! Needless to say I switched to another Urologist.

My HIFU experience is different from that of MikeTango. I retained all sexual function with no physical size drawbacks as he mentioned above. My recovery was difficult but the long-term results so far have been great! My annual MRI results have all been good and last week I had a CT scan with everything all clear. (My results are short-term as I am only 3 1/2 years out from my procedure).

I think it is important to keep in mind that we can have the same procedure and experience different results as each one of us is unique. I think what I want to stress most is the results and minimum bad side effects are directly tied to the experience and skill of the doctor/surgeon.

To anyone who has just been told they have cancer, all I can say is do your own research. Be your own best advacate. Learn ALL your option AND KNOW THE SIDE EFFECTS FOR EACH PROCEDURE. Once you have decided on the procedure that you feel is the lessor evil (and they are all evil) and you feel you can live with the side effects, then find the VERY BEST surgeon you can afford and be willing to travel to get to him. You are dealing with the rest of your life...make your decision count!

I too experience the same after effects. I have some liquid which resembles the semen before I had my hifu operation. But my libido is greatly reduced although I am still working and experiencing stress at work which may partly explain that. I have limited desire for sex these days although I am 65 years old. Looking back my sexual desires reduced in my 50s. Companionship in my marriage is now, important to me. I have a wife who is 20 years my junior so it concerns me that I cannot fulfill her sexual desires. I am working on this and recognize it as a risk factor to my marriage.

I too was not fully informed/educated on what is realistic vs what was in the surgeon's brochure, as it relates to ED and related issues. I was 63 (20 months ago) when I had my nerve sparing prostatectomy. And I was told how high the rate of return to near "normal" was. for this particular surgeon For what it's worth and these are just physiological facts, I rated the max points on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) which is the standard questionnaire almost all doctors use to determine your current level of ED. I just never in my life did not get an erection when needed and never experienced any of the standard ED traits. I was told, oh, you have no worries. Given that you have no current ED issues, you will be one of the lucky ones.

One year and eighteen months later, I can get get enough of an erection to masturbate, but not sufficient to have vaginal penetration, unless I use 50mg of Viagra. Yes, then it is sufficient, but the notion that my pre-prostatectomy "virility" made me a shoe in for being up and at'em afterwards , was at best a terrible setup and at worse, just a bad thing for a medical professional to say prior to life changing surgery.

On the issue of dry orgasm. I have been able to dry orgasm, but not during PIV sex. Not an issue before surgery. To suggest that ejaculate doesn't matter, well for me at least, it's just not true. The loss of the ability to ejaculate is not only a physical impact to the experience, for me, and other men I have heard from, it is a significant psychological two by four to the psyche that I never expected or was informed about. Men ejaculate. Your whole life, your whole sexual experience - ejaculation is inextricably tied to the completion of the act. I never once heard anything from health professionals about recommendations on how to prepare or adjust to this.

Like it or not, even intellectually understanding it, there is a connection to manhood and ejaculation, and there are just too many men who express this distress after prostate surgery to pretend it does not exist, at least is some portion of the male experience. Medical professionals should be aware an helpful in this for patients to be prepared and better informed in decision making.

Do I enjoy what sex has become with my wife? It is a complex question where it used to be very, very simple. The level of enjoyment is now always gauged against the level of challenge that must be dealt with (psycological, emotional, physical) vs the adjusted expectations of the ultimate level of enjoyment.

I am one of those that, If I had a crystal ball and knew exactly before surgery what I know now, would have postponed. I did a great deal of research and took ownership as an informed patient, but I am also convinced that the medical professionals I relied on were not as honest or transparent as they should have been.

I had the robotic surgery on November 3rd. since then I'm taking 2 Viagra a day with zero results and am just now regaining bladder control almost 2 months later. My concerns are how much shorter my penis is now and that the closest thing to an erection is when I have a bowel movement and even then it's less than half of what I'm used to. Will things get better or is this the way things are now?

I always thought that the prostate is where the orgasm comes from. The fluid itself comes from the testicles. This is what i was taught in school. Whatever the case, perhaps more foreplay and semen will help you.