Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

RARP surgery peeps -- would you mind answering some questions for me?

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
1 2
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
Michael_T
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 3712
Posted 4/29/2017 1:49 PM (GMT -6)
I didn't have surgery myself, but my brother (who is not on this forum) did so in December, so I can give you his answers.

1) Still wears pads, but improving.
2) Yes, but it's only been five months.
3) We've never discussed this.
4) No...and as a matter of fact, I think a very high percentage of guys here don't regret their choices no matter which way they went. (I don't regret my "triple play" choice.)

If you really want to hear from the few guys with regrets you could probably flush them out with a post that says "does anyone regret having surgery?" But I'd bet that 90%+ would say no and the minority that said "yes" likely would have done AS if they had known more about that at the time.
profile picture
PeterDisAbelard.
Forum Moderator
Joined : Jul 2012
Posts : 6360
Posted 4/29/2017 2:18 PM (GMT -6)
1) Yes. I never regained continence after surgery and radiation. I have had an artificial sphincter installed which helps somewhat. I still use two or three pads a day.

2) Not sure how to score this one. I used trimix for three years with so-so results. I received an implant at the same time as the artificial sphincter. No complaints about the implant but if the sphincter worked better the implant would see more use.

3) After surgery the flaccid penis rides a bit lower and more tucked into the body. But with proper rehab there is very little difference before and after in the erect member. The back end of the erection chambers slot into the pubic bone and the mechanical support for an erect penis does not depend on any of the urinary plumbing. So, no.

4) Funny word, regret. Wouldn't have minded if things had worked out differently but, in the sense you are probably asking about, no, I don't regret my surgery.
profile picture
614-2101-765-611
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2015
Posts : 114
Posted 4/29/2017 3:19 PM (GMT -6)
1) are you incontinent? No

2) are you impotent? if not, do you experience climacturia? Yes. I now use Trimax

3) have you experienced penile shortening and/or deformity (crookedness)? Yes, I lost 2 inches. Yes I did measure.

4) do you regret your surgery decision? No. But I do wish I has more sex before my surgery

PS Sucks and has changes my life each day going forward. If there is a nice bathroom around I now stop and visit.

Glad to be a member of the 0 club
profile picture
JoeInBucks
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2015
Posts : 44
Posted 4/29/2017 4:35 PM (GMT -6)
Four no's.
Stoped using pads at about eight weeks. Still take 5 mg of Cialis / Tadafil every other day. It might be more psychological

Edit. Just noticed signature is gone. Surgery was back in Feb 2015. 63 at the time Gleason 3+4=7. Nerves on both sides spared. Recovery pretty easy. PSA undetectable do far.

Post Edited (JoeInBucks) : 4/29/2017 4:47:47 PM (GMT-6)

profile picture
F8
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2010
Posts : 5271
Posted 4/29/2017 6:24 PM (GMT -6)
F8,
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. I know many guys who weren't so lucky.

Bill from Florida

yep, most of them had surgery.

ed
profile picture
Big Mac
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2012
Posts : 2036
Posted 4/29/2017 7:49 PM (GMT -6)
F8,
Why are you like that?

Why do you preach "my choice was better than your choice".

This isn't the first time, it's all the time!

You know, you disappeared for quite sometime, now I am going to go now that you are back. You can try to talk all the newbies into having radiation without my opinion.

By the way, in a couple of weeks, I'll be Bill from the Bay Area, I hope we don't run into each other out there

Bill from Florida
profile picture
Tony Crispino
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 8151
Posted 4/29/2017 9:37 PM (GMT -6)
Bill,
I hope we do run into each other. Make sure you leave me your contact information. I just left the area today so it will be a year before I return. But I shall return.

T
profile picture
Lamilla
New Member
Joined : Oct 2016
Posts : 9
Posted 4/29/2017 10:44 PM (GMT -6)
1. No, I was dry from day 1
2. Yes, however it is improving
3. No shortening
4. No regrets
profile picture
F8
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2010
Posts : 5271
Posted 4/30/2017 12:31 AM (GMT -6)
Big Mac -- because you are perpetuating myths. that's why i'm like that. I never disappeared. another myth.

ed
profile picture
halbert
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 5190
Posted 4/30/2017 5:00 AM (GMT -6)
On the subject of surgical side effects, which is something we go around and around about in here, I recall when I was working through my decision process, one of the things I was told to do was to ask my doctor about his individual record and stats. The idea was that there are wide variations in the side effect profiles, depending on the individual surgeon.

What my surgeon told me, on that subject, is that there are (his opinion), quite a few variables that play in to the prevalence and severity of surgical side effects. As I recall the conversation, among the factors he listed were (in no particular order):
1. Patient general health.
2. Individual anatomy (the Prostate is difficult to get to for anyone, and there is a bell curve of difficulty)
3. Prostate size
4. Surgical judgement (how "wide" does the surgeon have to cut)
5. Tumor location (Apical tumors or swelling makes incontinence more likely)
6. Nerve damage (somewhat inevitable, but widely variable even if no nerves are removed)
7. ED history pre-surgery (he said, as I recall, that virtually everyone moves "down scale" after surgery. The question becomes, where are you on the scale before you start?)
8. Skill and experience of the surgeon and team
9. Random factors
profile picture
JoeInBucks
Regular Member
Joined : Aug 2015
Posts : 44
Posted 4/30/2017 8:36 AM (GMT -6)

F8 said...
F8,
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. I know many guys who weren't so lucky.

Bill from Florida

yep, most of them had surgery.

ed

This forum can give a distorted view of the number of "lucky ones" since a lot of guys tend not to post or even visit the site when no problem are present. Unfortunately those having continuing issues keep looking and posting in order to try to correct their issue.

Both sides need to be presented in order to provide an accurate picture of the risks and rewards of all treatments.
profile picture
island time
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 2139
Posted 4/30/2017 8:27 PM (GMT -6)

pwallace said...
post surgery:

1) are you incontinent?

2) are you impotent? if not, do you experience climacturia?

3) have you experienced penile shortening and/or deformity (crookedness)?

4) do you regret your surgery decision?

thanks in advance!

1) No.

2) No.

3) No.

4)"Regret....noun
1.
a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done."

sometimes I can feel sadness or disappointment when i think about this margin. Had I known I'd have one, I'd probably still gone surgery, just with a different surgeon. Or would I? I came out of this as well as one can, QOL wise. Why try a "do over" with another surgeon? Can't know how that would turn out either.

"NO". "final answer"
profile picture
Worried Guy
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2009
Posts : 3780
Posted 5/1/2017 9:40 AM (GMT -6)
1) I was incontinent but had a sling installed around 18 months after surgery. That fixed it.
2) Dead a a door nail. But I can still orgasm and it still feels fgreat.
3) Absolutely it is shorter! The surgeon says he didn't shorten it but he removed the pedestal that once proudly supported it. Now my shrunken remains hide like a frightened turtle inside my abdomen.
How tall is the David statue? Now remove the base. How tall is David now? The surgeon would say he is just as tall. While every single viewer in the plaza would say he isn't!
4) No regrets at all. Well.... a couple:
-I would have exercised my bits much more during the weeks before surgery. I had no idea my last hard on would be the day before surgery.
-I would have ignored incontinence and spend more time on rehab asap after surgery.
-I would have demanded my GP order a PSA test with my normal blood work when I had "complete" physicals. Maybe we could have discovered the tumor before my PSA was pushing 20 and was up to 70% involved.

Other than those I am happy with the results. I'm almost 8 years out and my PSA is still <0.02! I can live with that.

Jeff
profile picture
samster
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2011
Posts : 597
Posted 5/1/2017 9:47 AM (GMT -6)
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No
profile picture
RobLee
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2017
Posts : 1370
Posted 5/1/2017 2:29 PM (GMT -6)
1) Yes, mostly incontinent when standing. Facing AUS surgery two weeks from today.

2) Yes, but don't care. I had some ED before surgery but was still obsessed with sex even after surgery. Now I am on HT and not interested in sex. But my wife loves that I am very affectionate now. Given how we were a year ago and how we are now, we would both choose the way we are now.

3) Probably, but again, that doesn't matter in the least.

4) Not at all. The only regret is that it was not done sooner, when there might have been less progression.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12

More On Prostate Cancer

7 Ways To Stay In Control And Reduce Stress While Battling Cancer

7 Ways To Stay In Control And Reduce Stress While Battling Cancer

Side Effects Of Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment

Side Effects Of Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment


HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn
© 1997-2021 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.