Radical Prostatectomy: A Prostate Cancer Surgery Procedure

Prostate cancer surgery may be the last thing on your mind for your disease. The idea of incision and the taking out of an organ of your body is just one of those things that you could not believe to be a procedure you will have to go through.

Aside from the permanent nature of such surgery, anything done could not be reversed by time – and worst of all, the side effects of which are definitely not minor matters and may become more than complications of a disease, but could be considered another health disorders in themselves.


Prostate cancer surgery may be a radical prostatectomy procedure. This type of prostate cancer surgery involves the removal of the entire prostate gland and some nearby tissues. Under this approach, there are two methods: a.) retropubic, and b.) perineal.

In the retropubic procedure, the surgeon will remove the prostate gland through an incision on the lower abdomen. The location is around the area just below your navel and then to an inch above the base of your penis. In the perineal procedure, the surgeon removes the prostate through an incision done in between the scrotum and the anus.

During this prostate cancer surgery, a catheter is to be inserted into your bladder through your penis. This is done to drain urine during your recovery period, and would be in place for about two weeks after said operation.

After removal of the catheter, you will start to experience some urinary problems as incontinence. One will experience this for weeks and may even take months before one eventually gets control back. Some may also find difficulty holding urine when they cough or lift heavy things.

Impotence is another prostate cancer surgery side effect. Nerves on both sides of the prostate may be damaged during the operation. Men who already have trouble getting erections will find themselves even having more problems in relation with this after prostate cancer surgery.

With regards still to the effects of prostate cancer surgery to the sexual function, some may also experience reduction or loss of orgasm – and involuntary loss of urine during orgasm.

Prostate cancer surgery definitely has some side effects to contend with, and depending upon the individual concerned, there are pros and cons. The positive side may be being able to remove the cancer, with the negative side of having to deal with the other health issues that would result after the surgery.

New prostate cancer surgery procedures have also come about as laparoscopic surgery. Another is robotic surgery. Both are tools to improve accuracy – and perhaps are able to spare the patient of the unwanted side effects affecting men’s basic functions.

But whether what type of surgery this may be, one should take the time to think things carefully and decide whether this may be the road to take for his prostate cancer problem.

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