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Cowper's Glands

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User
Posted 17 Apr 2022 at 16:06

Hello everyone :)

I am awaiting a date for RRP surgery, hopefully in the next few weeks.

My question is this... What happens to the Cowper's glands (that as I understand it are responsible for producing the pre ejaculation lubricating fluid during sexual arousal)? Are they removed with the prostate? I didn't think so but it seems that after RRP men don't create pre cum lubricating fluid when sexually aroused or am I wrong there? Why is that if the cowper's glands are left intact? Is it because of nerve damage? Is there anything that can be done in surgery to protect there function? My surgeon even was not sure exactly where all the pre ejaculation lubricating fluid comes from... Is there more to pre cum than the cowpers gland?

Many thanks, Aidan

User
Posted 17 Apr 2022 at 21:04

The Cowper gland will remain. I believe they are a reasonable distance from the prostate. Did they do anything useful? With evolution you find all sorts of things in a body which are just left overs. They never provided lubrication for sex, that task goes to the vagina, they may have provided a bit of lubrication to the urethra, but that may be prostate fluid. So I think the answer is they will remain, and they will probably still function, but whether that function is of any use is debatable.

Dave

User
Posted 17 Apr 2022 at 21:58
As always depends on the individual. As said above it is a distance from the prostate and can survive. I always used to produce quite a lot of very lubricating pre cum before the op. It continued to a lesser extent after surgery , and then due to lack of spontaneous daily erections and eventually having to have HT it has almost all gone. The only evidence I see of it is 1/2 hr after a very rare orgasm since starting HT
User
Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 16:37

Mine still appears to be there and functioning, although producing much less pre-cum than before the op (which could be a tad excessive anyway).

Upkeep

User
Posted 22 May 2022 at 08:59

I was overjoyed when my pre-cum returned about 5 months after my RP surgery. Only a few drops but excellent lubricant, also tastes better than any artificial lube.

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 08:09

Thank you to everyone for your replies. 

I had my RALP surgery on 7/6/22. I am recovering very well and feel good. I was really pleased and surprised to find that I had full bladder control pretty much straight away after removal of catheter. I don’t know why it was but I was very grateful to not have incontinence problem.


I also found that when I’m kissing and cuddling with my lovely partner I still produce some lubrication which I assume must be from my Cowpers gland so that has answered for me my own question. It’s not as much a before but it is there and it works fine :)

No sign of an erection yet (I had half nerve sparing) but there are ‘stirrings’ in the groin and I am surprised that there is much feeling still in the penis. 

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 08:44

The nerves which are (or are not) spared only control erection (and sometimes continence too).

I don't think sensory nerves are in those nerve bundles - that's not normally impacted at all.

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 09:37
AidanB, what a lovely positive story! I am so glad to hear about your quick recovery. And yes to all you write, including the pleasures of producing a bit of natural lubrication and feeling those stirrings. Yay! May you be amongst the luckiest ones who recover quite quickly. This week I chatted with a man who basically had no incontinence (barring a few dribbles) and no loss of erectile function after robotic assisted radical prostatectomy two years ago.
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User
Posted 17 Apr 2022 at 21:04

The Cowper gland will remain. I believe they are a reasonable distance from the prostate. Did they do anything useful? With evolution you find all sorts of things in a body which are just left overs. They never provided lubrication for sex, that task goes to the vagina, they may have provided a bit of lubrication to the urethra, but that may be prostate fluid. So I think the answer is they will remain, and they will probably still function, but whether that function is of any use is debatable.

Dave

User
Posted 17 Apr 2022 at 21:58
As always depends on the individual. As said above it is a distance from the prostate and can survive. I always used to produce quite a lot of very lubricating pre cum before the op. It continued to a lesser extent after surgery , and then due to lack of spontaneous daily erections and eventually having to have HT it has almost all gone. The only evidence I see of it is 1/2 hr after a very rare orgasm since starting HT
User
Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 16:37

Mine still appears to be there and functioning, although producing much less pre-cum than before the op (which could be a tad excessive anyway).

Upkeep

User
Posted 19 Apr 2022 at 22:46
Can't say I ever had any "pre cum" maybe the main cum was happening to soon!
User
Posted 22 May 2022 at 08:59

I was overjoyed when my pre-cum returned about 5 months after my RP surgery. Only a few drops but excellent lubricant, also tastes better than any artificial lube.

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 08:09

Thank you to everyone for your replies. 

I had my RALP surgery on 7/6/22. I am recovering very well and feel good. I was really pleased and surprised to find that I had full bladder control pretty much straight away after removal of catheter. I don’t know why it was but I was very grateful to not have incontinence problem.


I also found that when I’m kissing and cuddling with my lovely partner I still produce some lubrication which I assume must be from my Cowpers gland so that has answered for me my own question. It’s not as much a before but it is there and it works fine :)

No sign of an erection yet (I had half nerve sparing) but there are ‘stirrings’ in the groin and I am surprised that there is much feeling still in the penis. 

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 08:44

The nerves which are (or are not) spared only control erection (and sometimes continence too).

I don't think sensory nerves are in those nerve bundles - that's not normally impacted at all.

User
Posted 01 Jul 2022 at 09:37
AidanB, what a lovely positive story! I am so glad to hear about your quick recovery. And yes to all you write, including the pleasures of producing a bit of natural lubrication and feeling those stirrings. Yay! May you be amongst the luckiest ones who recover quite quickly. This week I chatted with a man who basically had no incontinence (barring a few dribbles) and no loss of erectile function after robotic assisted radical prostatectomy two years ago.
 
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