prostrate cancer surgery nerve damage

[JR48]

Post prostrate cancer surgery, nerve damage. Can not hold blood in the penis for an erection. What can I do? Surgery? Mechanical? What?


This discussion is related to nerve damage after prostate cancer treatment.

[jay_rogers]

The nerves that control a man's ability to have an erection lie next to the prostate gland. They often are damaged or removed during surgery. Your doctor will give you instructions about how to care for damage nerve. Because this is depending on treatment what treatment is used and how your recovery is going on.

[100gs]

I had prostrate sure 7 seven years ago and just recently the surgeon said he cut nerves to late to sue and never offered any hope is there any hope I have almost nothing now

[69JAG]

As a sexually active 67 year old I was concerned when my radiation oncologist told me that prostate cancer treatment would cause impotence. Since my urologist had told me if I wanted to live I had to  go for surgery or radiation; and, I couldn't have surgery, I proceeded with radiation therapy which ended in May 2008.

VIAGRA, prescribed by my urologist, has restored erectile function; and, I still have orgasms. My prostate cancer had already destroyed my ability to produce semen so I don't know if the RADIATION or the CANCER caused orgasms to have no ejaculate.

If erections, orgasms and ejaculation are important to a man he should explore these issues with his urologist and his oncologist.

[HeinrikMD]

Hi,

You could discuss treatment with drugs in order to improve the condition (there would be sildenafil, tadalafil). There are some men who would need to be on it and then regain function, some may need it longer than others, and then there would also be those who may not adequately respond.

Have there been any problems in the past before the operation? It would be important as the chances of returning to the optimum would also be affected if there was any problem at the start.

[otherhalf]

I think you are right, initially you are both getting on with recovery and glad that the cancer was picked up in the first place!
We are six months post op and feel emotionally closer than ever - everything else at the moment has been put on a backburner I suppose as my husband has more teatment to have and we dont know what the outcome will be to our sex life.

[Woodie263]

Hello and welcome to the board.  My husband had a radical prostatectomy on December 19th 2007.  As of today, 8 months later he has had no erections and no sign of it happening.  Our urologist said it can take up to 18months to 2 years, but I'm adjusted to nothing happening in the future.  You need to talk to an expert in the field, and also find out if his nerves were damaged during his operation.  Good luck.  It can be a fairly dicy subject to talk about, especially if your partner won't talk about it.  I feel I still have my husband alive and that is most important.  Losing the intimacy is a bit sad though and I'm certain that we need time to adjust.