Prostatectomy is a surgery carried out to remove a part or the whole prostate gland. The surgery is used to treat several health complications related to the prostate gland but usually, it is done to treat prostate cancer.
The prostate is a small walnut-sized gland located below the urinary bladder in the man’s pelvic region. Being a part of the male reproductive system, the main function of the prostate gland is to secrete a fluid that aids in the production of sperm and keeps them nourished and also improves their mobility.
As you age the prostate gland began to increase in size as a result of which man may experience some prostate-related problems like:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is the enlargement of the prostate gland as you age and often leads to problems related to urination. Although it is a noncancerous prostate issue, it has symptoms that are identical to prostate cancer.
Prostatism leads to obstruction of urine flow through the prostate gland leading to reduced urine force.
Prostatitis is the infection in the prostate gland leading to pain, swelling or discomfort in the prostate.
Prostatalgia, which is a symptom of prostatitis and causes pain in the prostate gland.
Why Radial Prostatectomy Is Done?
Usually, this surgery is carried out to treat prostate cancer. However, radical prostatectomy can be done in any of the following situations:
- Frequent bleeding from the prostate gland
- Difficulty in completely emptying the bladder
- Stones in the bladder along with the enlargement of the prostate.
- Increased pressure on the kidneys and ureters due to urine retention.
- Slow urination
What Are The Complications Associated With Prostatectomy?
Just like any other surgical procedure, radical prostatectomy may also lead to any of the following complications:
Urine Leakage Or Dribbling
Just after the surgery, many patients may experience this symptom which usually goes off with time.
Urinary Incontinence
After the surgery, you may not have a hold on your urine which may lead to sudden, uncontrollable urine leakage. However, the problem can be resolved on its sometime after the surgery, probably within a year.
Lymphedema
This is characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues resulting in swelling and formation of cysts. This condition is quite rare and generally occur if lymph nodes get removed during the surgery. This in turn may lead to the retention of fluid in the legs or genital areas leading to swelling and pain.
Erection Issues
The inability to have an erection is one of the common issues faced by most men after prostate surgery. During the surgery, the blood vessels or nerves around the penis may get damaged which restricts the blood supply to the penis thus causing difficulty in having an erection.
The pills like vidalista 60 are often prescribed by doctors to overcome this situation. Vidalista 60 is a tadalafil tablet that helps in having firm erections by increasing the blood supply to the penis.
The FDA has approved vidalista 60 as an effective and prescribed medication to treat erection issues in men. Though vidalista 60 is quite an efficient and convenient pill yet one should talk to the doctor and take all the necessary precautions while having vidalista 60.
This is because vidalista 60 often comes with some potential side effects and a few drug interactions which may be unsafe for some people.
Sterility
During a radical prostatectomy, the connection between the urethra and testicles get cut which affect the man’s ability to produce sperm for childbirth.
Change In The Lenth Of Penis
Sometimes in rare cases, th surgery may shorten the length of the penis.
Apart from the above complications, radical prostatectomy surgery can also lead to bleeding or itching at the site of incision, infection and difficulty in breathing.
How Prostatectomy Is Done?
Radical prostatectomy can either be carried out with an open method or a minimally invasive method based on your condition.
Open Prostatectomy
This is one of the traditional methods of radical prostatectomy where the surgeon cuts 8 to 10 inches below your belly button. The surgeon carries out the surgery of removing the prostate gland through this incision.
Minimally Invasive Method
Radical prostatectomy can be done in the following two minimally invasive ways:
Laparoscopic Prostatectomy
Here the surgeon makes several tiny incisions in your belly through which camera and operational tools are inserted inside. The surgeon carries out the surgery from outside by operating on seeing a screen.
Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy
Just like laparoscopic prostatectomy, the small incisions are made in your belly in robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy also and the surgery is done using a robotic system.
As such, there is no severe difference between the two approaches, however, around 20.8% of men with open surgery require a blood transfusion after the surgery as compared to the 2.7% of men undergone laparoscopic approach.
Indeed radical prostatectomy is effective in treating prostate cancer, however, this can be possible if the cancer is confined to the prostate gland only. If cancer has spread outside the prostate gland then further treatment is required.
Men after the radical prostatectomy have an 85% of chance to survive for the next 10 years if cancer hasn’t spread.
What Is Done After The Surgery
- After the surgery, most men are kept under observation in the hospital for a few days.
- During the surgery, a urinary catheter is inserted and some men need to go to their home with the catheter. Another catheter that is inserted through the skin may also need to be taken home.
- Doctors generally prescribe pain killer pills to relieve the pain after the surgery. Also, to regain the erections after the doctors may also prescribe medicines like vidalista 60. For the men whose nerves get affected during the surgery, vidalista 60 is found to be effective in getting back erections by 60%.
- It may take a few weeks or months to properly regain your urinary functionality
- After the surgery regular follow-ups are required for checking if the cancerous cells are begun to multiply again or not.