radical prostatectomy and 'penile shrinkage'

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Comments

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    The litmus test

    I should note that the urologist i settled on told me about side effects, but not about the shortening length. However, he did encourage me to consult with other post-op Davinci patients. I did not need to do this because my friend had pretty much told me his previous experience, and I went in to RP expecting i may never have sex again... but in my condition at the time, sex was a distant memory, and my other issues were more prevalent than ED.

    So I think THIS is the litmus test:

    Is your urologist giving you a wide range of treatments, noting side effects for each one, treatment outcomes, frequency of successful treatments, quality of life post-op, and how your own variables can influence those outcomes, such as pre-op length, age, frequency of sexual activity, etc?

    OR

    Is the urologist making all your decisions FOR you? Are you being steered toward a certain direction? Are you getting the "next in line" surgeon just because he belongs to the same clinic as your urologist?

    There it is. We can argue all day about anecdotal outcomes. Is it any wonder so many of us depend on VdG's advice? Excluding the surgeon/urologist, my success rate for the  above litmus test was only 20%! Only one in five gave me all the information about five different procedures, their side effects, and outcomes. How is that possible? Only one in five gave me enough information to make my own decisions, instead of making the decisions FOR me.

     

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,180 Member
    Cancer gone?

    Hi All,

    Vasco hit it on the head, is your cancer gone.  Surgery or radation ask yourself that question.  Hopefully after a few years I can say yes.  If my member is an inch shorter I don't really care, if I stress leak a little I don't care as long as the cancer is gone(the main goal IMO).  As I have said before ALL TREATMENTS HAVE SIDE EFFECTS, study them wisley before you make your choice.

     

    Dave 3+4

  • Chuckect
    Chuckect Member Posts: 45
    I have had no surgery, wasn't

    I have had no surgery, wasn't dx until i had stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.. I take lupron to lower my testosterone + i am 80 years old.. so, i can only say if your lucky enough to live as long as me i assure you your penis will shrink.. Sorry...

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    Chuckect said:

    I have had no surgery, wasn't

    I have had no surgery, wasn't dx until i had stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.. I take lupron to lower my testosterone + i am 80 years old.. so, i can only say if your lucky enough to live as long as me i assure you your penis will shrink.. Sorry...

    Yes !

    Thank you Chuckect !  Perspective is priceless, but rare.  

    max

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    edited March 2018 #26
    litigation

    I am NO fan of litigation, but if urologists continue to hide side effects, especially penile shortening, arent they opening themselves up to malpractice suits? If I was their liability insurance company, i would insist they tell RP patients up front that they will suffer a loss of 2" , and if they cant afford to lose that then they need to know... there's hordes of medical malpractice attorneys itching to sue the hospital, the urologist, the surgeon etc. And if someone can stand to endure several years of courtroom litigation talking about the shortened length of his business and how it ruined his QoL, he would stand to make a law firm very wealthy. (He wont see much of it though). 

    Better just to tell the patient upfront as standard procedure.

    I dont know anything about the law, but i am familiar with liability in our business. You dont mess around when it comes to liability protection, and procedures adjustments. That's why we are a limited liability corporation.

    Ive seen successful cases of liability that were a lot less convictive than loss of QoL from shortening.

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    Seinfeld

    There was an episode of Seinfeld during which the gang went to the beach....George later asked Jerry in confidence, after getting out of the cold water, "Do women know about 'shrinkage?'   Do doctors ?

    max

  • MK1965
    MK1965 Member Posts: 233 Member
    Scam

    I read on other forums  about this scam going around for 10 years praying on prostate Ca patiemnts.

    BEWARE!!!!!!!

    MK

  • jeffman
    jeffman Member Posts: 46 Member
    I had surgery in sept. and

    I had surgery in sept. and there is some shrinkage. Still no erections. But I gladly sacrafice an inch to see my grandkids have kids. The other stuff is between my wife and I, and it's not hard (pun intended) to figure something out. 

  • Steve1961
    Steve1961 Member Posts: 618 Member
    Hmmm

    I agree with Jeff as long as I live long enough to see and play with my grandkids who reall6 cares about sex..then again I’m 57 and been married fir 30 years ..I feel like al bundy but with 3 wonderful grown kids  lol ...still don’t know if I am doing surgery or brachytherapy...my doc is confident I wont need any radiation after surgery but u never knowc