Symptoms after surgery

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 12:46

Hello, I'd welcome advice as someone new to the forum.

I had surgery in April after a long journey to diagnosis and finding a surgeon - it was close to the bladder and G 4+3 but the surgeon was positive about the outcomes after surgery and describes me as 'cured'.

Just before and since surgery I have had lots of issues, particularly rib pain. Surgeon believes it is unrelated but has no idea what it is and has prescribed painkillers and told me to stick it out until PSA. I was in so much pain that I ended up in A&E and had an X-ray, but nothing spotted. I have had other bone pains since so of course I am concerned.

Any advice or other experiences? Welcome any thoughts.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 13:17

Hello mate.

I doubt very much whether your rib pains are related to prostate cancer. I'm very pleased to see your op went so well, but question your surgeon's call of curing you. Let's hope his/her optimism is well founded.

Best of luck mate.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 13:23

Thanks for your thoughts and best wishes, appreciated!

I share your doubts to be honest but have learned through meeting different surgeons that a lot is down to personality - the one I went with is rated is one of the top ones but is incredibly bullish. The others were more balanced on longer term outlook.

No clearer on rib causes after 3 months so the doubt lingers.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 14:03

I'm with Adrian in that it's very unlikely to have anything to do with PCa however you have had serious abdominal surgery and that can upset the body's balance and the way that you use muscles as you slowly heal. It's possible that it's a muscle related issue that should, I imagine, slowly improve as you become more and more mobile and start exercising again.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 14:16

Thanks Steve, it started before surgery but obviously hoping for some other explanation, as well as holding out until first psa test.

Seen multiple experts and multiple debates about pet scan interpretation and whether should have more scan pre psa but no progress.

I had single port surgery, which I think is early days, so interested in other experiences down the line, fingers crossed.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, appreciate it.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 14:44

Sorry I misread and didn't appreciate that it was a pre-surgery condition.

Did you have a bone scintigraphy before surgery and what was your last PSA?

Unless your PSA was > 200 then I would say that they are unrelated - metastasised PCa takes a long time before it becomes felt as a symptom based on what I have read which would mean that the PSA would typically be very high prior to the surgery.

User

Posted 02 Jun 2024 at 15:04

No problem, there's a lot going on!

I had PET CT scan and psa was 25, talk about possibly being high due to infection and post previous surgery, part of misdiagnosis.

Pet spotted something at back of ribs which they discounted at time but obviously nothing 100%

I know I'm looking for reassurance that is hard to give, but no expert can say what else it could be - seem a thoracic surgeon recently too.

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