Removing the prostate (total prostatectomy) can cause impotence. Risks range from 30 to 100% and depend on age, prostate cancer stage, tumor size, and erectile function before surgery.
In most cases, the difficulty of having an erection improves over time. Men older than 65 have about a 30% chance of getting back to the same level of erection they had before withdrawing the prostate. In individuals with less than 60 years the chances of recovery are 60 to 70%.
There are also factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, smoking and heart problems that also influence the erectile dysfunction after surgery. Patients who already had some type of impotence before removing the prostate tend to have the condition worse.
However, in most cases, the difficulty of erection after prostate withdrawal tends to improve over time, although this time varies widely and can reach 18 months.
Therefore, the urologists generally recommend the use of oral medications, intracavernosal injections and vacuum prostheses.
During this period, it is important that the patient seeks to have intercourse frequently as this tends to accelerate the improvement of erectile dysfunction. Generally, if the problem persists for 1 year, the urologist may recommend implant surgery. penile prosthesis.
