Surgery

What are the different types of surgery for prostate cancer?

• radical prostatectomy - an open-surgery procedure in which the entire prostate gland and some tissue around it are removed. This surgery involves an incision in either the abdomen or the scrotum area.
  
  
• transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) - surgery to remove part of the prostate gland that surrounds the urethra by using a small tool that is placed inside the prostate through the urethra. There is no incision with this method.
  
  
• cryosurgery - a procedure that involves killing the cancer by freezing the cells with a small, metal tool placed in the tumor.
  
  
• da Vinci prostatectomy - Several surgeons on staff at St. John's Mercy Medical Center have begun using a computer-assisted surgical system to perform protatectomy, which can reduce discomfort, recovery times and complications.

Possible complications or side effects of prostate cancer surgery:

Long-term, serious side effects are somewhat less common now than in the past, as new surgical methods continue to be introduced. New, nerve-sparing surgical procedures may prevent permanent injury to the nerves that control erection, and damage to the opening of the bladder. However, possible complications and side effects of prostate cancer surgery still exist. Be sure to discuss the following with your physician before a surgical procedure:

• incontinence
  Incontinence is the inability to control urine and may result in leakage or dribbling of urine, especially just after surgery. Normal control returns for many patients within several weeks or months after surgery, although some patients become permanently incontinent.

• impotence
  Impotence is the inability to have an erection of the penis. For a month, or up to several months, after surgery, most men are not able to get an erection. Eventually, approximately 40 to 60 percent of men will be able to get an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse, but without ejaculation of semen, since removal of the prostate gland prevents that process.

  This effect on a man's ability to achieve an erection is related to the stage of the cancer and the patient's age. However, most men who have surgery should expect some decrease in their ability to have an erection. For men who are completely impotent after surgery, several solutions are available.

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