How prostate cancer and treatments can affect your sexual function

 

Treatments for prostate cancer may have some side effect on sexual function and erections. There are important nerves and blood vessels surrounding the prostate which contributes to your ability to have an erection. Erectile Dysfunction or impotence, is a man’s inability to get or keep an erection that allows sexual activity with penetration. This may cause emotional and psychological stress  for men.

 

Patients may notice that they are unable to achieve an erection as they had previously had prior to surgery. Reason for this is that some procedures, such as a Radical Prostatectomy, may impact on the structures which enable erections. Dr Elmes offers nerve sparing procedures which increases the chance of preserving the original function of erections prior to prostate cancer treatment. There is no certainty that this will be successful.

 

Your age and whether or not you are having regular sex before treatment can affect how well your erectile function returns afterwards. For example, younger men having regular sexual activity before treatment are more likely to recover their erections compared to older men who are already experiencing erection problems and who have only occasional sexual activity. 

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Dr Elmes will always provide details and precise information on the inherit erectile risks you may have post your procedure. 

 

Penile Prosthesis Rehabilitation Surgery post Prostatectomy 

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• Penile Prosthesis

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For men who have erectile dysfunction resistant to oral medications, Penile Prosthesis allows a permanent solution to this debilitating and often psychologically distressing condition. Studies indicate 93.8% of men were moderately or completely satisfied with their penile prosthesis choice. Dr Elmes implants both major types of penile prosthesis, AMS & Coloplast. The choice of implant is primarily dependant on each patient’s anatomy.

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Dr Elmes only uses state of the art prostheses, which produce a more natural erection, maximised girth and rigidity, confident operation, easy one-handed deflation and minimal recovery time.

 

Dr Elmes personally instructs patients about injections and vacuum device usage. We have a wide range of in house medications and delivery devices allowing tailoring to individual patients needs.

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