Upcoming surgery

Posted , 3 users are following.

Diagnosed in 2018 with Gleason 6 prostate cancer at 40 years old, Active surveillance until newly discovered nodule on prostate, had Mri guided biopsy, Now upgraded to Gleason 7, Now 44 years old. Met with Radiologist just to explore my options and although immediate Ed side effects wouldn't happen with radiation, at my young age Radiologist was more concerned with Long term effects of Radiation given my age, So I have decided on Radical Prostatectomy, Surgery scheduled in March. So many different Stories and Opinions out there it's just overwhelming, I am honestly terrified of what will come after surgery. I have had 4 years of research , sharing stories, different Doctors options, and still feel like I don't know what to believe.

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes I understand your concerns about surgery, it's so different from one man to another. Me when it happened, I asked myself a lot of questions also in relation to the effects. I'm going to be 51 and it's been 3 years since I had the radical prostatectomy for the same reasons as you and I'm so satisfied with the results. My cancer was like you gleason 7 and located inside the gland and I had the robot assisted surgery, it's a very delicate place and it was very effective in my case. I'm cancer free today.

    The sexual aspect must concern you enormously... In my case everything was working perfectly before the surgery and I recovered my erections as before without any assistance in a few months after the surgery, I was really surprised. As you probably know, the surgeon has no choice but to also remove the seminal vesicles and the vas deferens, so the big difference is that the ejaculation disappears completely. I can come as before but the semen no longer squirts and we have to adapt to this change in our sexuality. There is no more mess, it's practical for that but I admit that I miss ejaculating normally 😉

    For urinary control, I had incontinence during the first weeks but since then I have no problem with it, at the beginning it is different because you have to think about holding back but after a while it becomes automatic.

  • Posted

    Surgery is often the preferred choice for "young" men ie <65 years old.

    If that fails you can always do radiation afterwards.

    The key is to find a surgeon that does MANY of these surgeries and not anyone new to the operating theatre.

    Good luck.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.