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Can anybody help me with side effects after surgery

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User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 10:47

Dear All

can anybody please help I am thinking about surgery and want to know what the side effects may be?

how long after surgery can you expect to have an erection?

how long after surgery can you expect to go to the toilet as normal?

what was it like having a catheter?

any help would be really helpful.

Nip

User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 17:24

Everyone is different. The catheter was straight forward. Awkward, but I put the bag in a bucket at the side of the bed, no leakage but it does fill up surprisingly quickly. Taking my own catheter out was easy, no pain. The first week after catheter removal was the most alarming for continence but much better after week 4 and now im 80% dry and only 1 pad per day. I have had no erections for 11 weeks so far. I used the loo normally after catheter was out. Overall, I'm pleased with progress.

User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 18:32

Hi.

As said earlier everyone is different, I had ralp in October 22.
Overnight in hospital, released with catheter in place of which was removed at twoc clinic 7 days later.
Very little pain after surgery, prescription for ibuprofen, codeine, & paracetamol, never touched the codeine.
Blood thinning injections once a day for 28 days which was uncomfortable injecting yourself but soon got used to it.
Bought both incontinence full pants & level 3 pads but never used the pants & only used the pads for a week or so just for security reasons whilst out walking, never a problem on a night, slight leakage on pressure, coughing sneezing rising from sitting etc.
E.D. Still a problem 5 months later but erection achieve able using pump & ring.
Back to jogging 3 miles a day after the 6 week light duty regime.
Very pleased with our decision on surgery but as said everyone different.

Good luck Jeff.

User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 21:24

About 90% of men are using one continence pad per day (or less) by 12 months post-op

About 90% of men can get an erection either naturally or using chemical / mechanical assistance by 12 months post-op

About 50% of men who have full nerve-sparing go on to recover natural erections sooner or later

About 10% of men never get an erection again and the same proportion are left with permanent incontinence

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 22:05

Surgery September 2022.

Everyone is different.

Catheter is a bummer. You get used to dealing with it but I did not start recovering properly until its removed. If all is good expect to have it removed. 9 Days in my case.

Pain. Jesus I was in considerable discomfort post op because of all the gas they pump into you for the operation. This went on for about 3 days. Then suddenly it disappeared.

Energy completely flatlined for a week. I could barely walk to the corner of the road. Took 8 weeks for me to get back to 75% of where I was before.

Suffered constipation for 2 to 3 weeks. Still think my bowel movements have not been the same since.

ED, full nerve sparring, but only slow improvements. No full erections yet.

Incontinence suffered with the odd drip for about a month.

Again everyone is different.

User

Posted 20 Mar 2023 at 23:22

Don't underestimate the significance of prostatectomy it's a life changing, life threatening procedure. The upside is it's the best chance of a permanent remission.

User

Posted 21 Mar 2023 at 20:44

Ensure you get catheter care advice before leaving the hospital as it can get really sore. Catheter was in for two weeks and it helped for me to breath out when it was removed.

I had a non nerve sparing RALP in September, prescribed Sildenfil but successfully using vacuum devices for erections. Natural erections just not happening. Didn't realise how much the results of the op would affect my mood. Would recommend talking with with a professional if you get down.

Having some issues peeing, goes everywhere but I'm pretty continent, just have to concentrate when I sneeze, cough or fart. Apart from that I'm good.

User

Posted 21 Mar 2023 at 21:32

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I had a non nerve sparing RALP in September, prescribed Sildenfil but successfully using vacuum devices for erections. Natural erections just not happening.

JD, if you had non-nerve sparing RP, you will probably never have natural erections and sildenafil doesn't work without nerves. Were your nerves removed or saved?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 21 Mar 2023 at 23:11

The opioid painkillers they'll give you post-surgery tend to cause severe constipation as a side-effect, so it's an excellent idea to take stool-softening preparations such as Fibogel both before and after surgery. When I had similar surgery myself I neglected to do so and suffered the consequences: couldn't "go" for 10 days after surgery and couldn't "push" because of the abdominal muscles cut by surgery. Finished up in A&E having an enema to get things moving (and what a relief that was!)

Chris

User

Posted 22 Mar 2023 at 20:15

Hi Lyn

Nerves were removed, not sure why I was prescribed Sildenafil.

User

Posted 22 Mar 2023 at 20:33

Probably it is just a good thing to draw oxygen down to the area to aid general healing?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 23 Mar 2023 at 01:42

i am now 4.5 years post Ralp which was done the Marsden. All psa’s have been ‘undetectable’. My surgery was nearly 8 hours in duration and told it was stage 3 Gleason 9 - the surgeon said it had got into a whole bunch of nooks and cranny’s. Lymph nodes all good.

I had a suprapubic catheter and I had no incontinence problems. I was very impressed!!

I didn’t have a natural erection for at least 18 months - I lost a lot of nerves in surgery. I am now at about 80% of what I was, and have orgasms - so I am happy with that.

So ciallis (5mg) daily was very important in my recovery along with occasional use of a pump (I found it quiet painful) and of course a dedicated effort to ‘exercise’ the old boy by whatever means. Start recovery early (on doctor’s advice) - if you don’t use it you could loose the physical, and mental ability, to have an erection. It’s hard work, and sometimes very difficult to accept - but now I am good and cancer free.

Btw I recovered from the surgery quite quickly and 3weeks after had no discomfort.

User

Posted 09 Apr 2023 at 11:31

Hello Jim, I had Robotic Prostatectomy on Monday, discharged on Tuesday. I still feel and look stomach bloated. Eating small portions of normal foods but avoiding any obvious irritants. However now on day 6 after op and bowels open but very watery. Is this anything like you had? Dave

User

Posted 09 Apr 2023 at 14:00

Just to reiterate again…everyone definitely has very different experiences but here’s a bit of my husbands post op info.

My husband at 73 had the op 21st Dec 21. Two nights in hospital, could have come home after one but I wanted him to get as much rest there first and make sure all ok. He had his op 200 miles from where we live so we stayed in an apartment for 3 weeks. For us it was the best decision as he had time to fully recuperate without visitors (it was Christmas) and he was unable to make him self busy doing things all over the house and garage 😂. He ended up with the catheter for 4 weeks but he coped with it really well. A couple of panic moments when it blocked up with some small blood clots but other than that no pain or discomfort (I did buy instilagel just in case it got sore).

Post op he had peppermint teas (to help with gas) cranberry juice (to help avoid infection) movicol (given by hospital for constipation) and kept him on painkillers for a week (just paracetamol mainly) whether we thought he needed them or not….he was never in pain so it worked.

After catheter removal he was fully continent at night, few dribbles through the day….wore a pad for a couple of months maybe but the last few weeks just for security. It only really affected him with too much alcohol. Erection wise, he hasn’t had any meds to help at all but did use the pump for a little while. He can get erections now but would need the use of pump and rings to be able to maintain. It’s of course not as it was but we went into all this thinking he would probably never get any response so anything more has been a bonus.

For 3 months I wouldn’t let him do very much at all as I was worried about hernia. He really felt he could have done most things though. We went out for walks and carried on with life and all was good.

He had an undetectable PSA for about 14 months and it has now just started to rise…it’s currently at 0.044. We already knew before his op that it had spread to lymph nodes though, they removed 14 of them and 1 was infected….it’s just possible he had some micro mets in there that are now starting to show themselves. Not sure what will come next but will see how the next couple of tests go. Still no regrets.

Good luck with your decision and whatever treatment you choose.

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