Several misconceptions about the recovery of sexual function after prostate cancer surgery

1. There is no need for the elderly to have sex, and there is no need to preserve sexual nerves

Compared with whether or not nerve-sparing is performed during prostate cancer surgery, elderly patients in China are very pessimistic about this, while elderly patients in the United States not only ask for nerve-sparing surgery, but also propose to undergo penile implantation to enhance sexual function.Such a completely different attitude is due to the disparity in the sexual life of the elderly in the two countries. Elderly Americans value sexual nerves and sexual function, which are closely related to their active sexual life. In fact, some men in their seventies and eighties in China still have erectile function, so it is still useful to preserve sexual nerves, but once the elderly in China reach this age, most of them are insulated from their sexual life. From a physiological point of view, as long as a man can get an erection, he can have sex, no matter how old he is, a good sex life can only bring physical pleasure, but also maintain the emotional bond of family harmony.

2. The application of PDE5 inhibitors and appropriate sexual activities after prostate cancer surgery will increase the probability of tumor recurrence

PDE5 inhibitors (Cialis, Viagra, etc.) in menErectile dysfunctionThe more commonly used medications. Published in the European Journal of Oncology Surgery, an authoritative international journal of urology, the effects of PDE5 inhibitors and sexual activity on biochemical recurrence after radical resection in patients with prostate cancer were evaluated. The study divided these patients into 3 categories based on the way they took PDE5 inhibitors (on-demand for 2 years after surgery, daily for at least 3 months, and no dose). The analysis showed that the use of PDE5 inhibitors and sexual activity in these patients were not correlated with recurrence in prostate cancer patients, and helped to improve patients' sexual function satisfaction. The European Guidelines for Urology, the world's leading guide in urology, also recommends PDE5 inhibitors as adjuvant drugs after prostate cancer surgery to help prevent penile atrophy and restore sexual function. Therefore, taking PDE5 inhibitors and sexual activity after prostate cancer surgery do not increase the probability of tumor recurrence.

3. The penis cannot be erect after radical prostatectomy, so the patient will not have orgasm

After prostatectomy, even though the sexual nerve is damaged and the penile loses spontaneous erectile function, the patient is still able to experience orgasm due to the presence of the penile sensory nerves. A study enrolled patients with prostate cancer after surgery had orgasmic recovery and related influencing factors, and found that about 40% of patients had orgasmic experience maintained at the original level, in which younger age, nerve-sparing, erectile function recovery and sexual desire were positively correlated with orgasmic sensation recovery, while lower urinary tract complications and urinary incontinence were negatively correlated with orgasmic sensation recovery. Another study followed up patients after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and found that 27% of patients could recover orgasmic sensation after surgery, and erection assist devices helped patients recover orgasmic sensation. Because both the prostate and seminal vesicles, where the semen is produced, are removed, and when orgasm comes, the patient has very little secretion from the urethral glands, sometimes even urine, but this is not harmful to you and your partner.

Fourth, penile implantation is a major operation, which is relatively damaging to the body

Penile implantation is a serious condition for prostate cancer surgeryErectile dysfunctionPatients are well treated with surgery.The advantage of penile implants is that they can achieve greater hardness, and they can complete better intercourse at any time, and the quality of intercourse is not affected at all. Penile implantation, in which a switch is installed in the scrotum to control the flow of fluid stored on the side of the abdomen in and out of the stem, is a physical method to make the penis erect and weak, and the surgery can make a small opening in the penile scrotum with minimal damage to the body.