Originally Posted by: Online Community MemberA mixed bag and an anxious few weeks to come, I think. On the up side, you at least can get an erection with assistance. I wonder sometimes if it would be better for surgeons to be really open with men and say "after the op, you may not be able to get an erection without help, but 90% of men can get an erection using chemical or mechanical means by 2 years post op." At least then there would be no unrealistic expectations or disappointment. I suspect there would be an awful lot more men opting for RT or brachy if they knew the reality.
Hi Lyn, anyone reading your post may understand from it, that only 10% of men who opt for surgery recover any form of natural erectile function afterwards. Is that what you meant? Is that the case?
And for those 90% who need help and do get erections, is it really the case that for THAT other 10%, they will never ever achieve erections even if they have the pump and third testicle ball shared squeezie thing installed? I can not remember what it is called, sorry.
I don't know about what every other man who opted for surgery was told about POTENTIAL consequences, but my surgeon told me very clearly the following:
1. I might die on the table. He was apparently very content that this was a very low possibility. I was not content mind you, his "low possibility" was way way too high for my liking. ;-)
2. I might lose all bowel control forever and be pooing myself uncontrollably for the rest of my life.*
3. I might lose all bladder control forever and be peeing uncontrollably for the rest of my life.*
4. I might never ever have a natural erection again, ever. He did not tell me the there were chemical and mechanical means of achieving an erection though. So, I believed that NO MORE erections, EVER, was a possibility.*
And I was very clear with him, if in any doubt cut out anything and everything you do not like the look of. I did not want him apologising to me for a recurrence because he thought he was doing me some sort of misguided favour by leaving some bits in that were going to kill me later!
* and despite all those possibilities, I wanted it out and opted for surgery.
I was offered Brachytherapy. I was offered HIFU. I was offered the seed implants, is that Brachy?
I was offered open surgery by my local NHS Trust surgeon who, on learning that I had opted to go beyond my Local NHS Trust and have the Robot at Reading, told me that if he could have offered me the Robot, he would have but they did not have one, so he came to Reading on his day off to witness my operation performed by a friend of his using the Robot.
As it happens, I only suffered 1 of the 4 potential side effects, Number 1, as I did not die on the table.
I have total bowel control, I have total bladder control, and I have natural erections, rather too frequently for my partners liking!
Surgery is not all bad for anyone or everyone.
And no one knows what the outcome will be, until you have whatever treatment option you decide on.
So sadly, we only have one chance and one choice.
Have a good weekend all.
dave