One of the most difficult decisions for any man with prostate cancer is deciding what treatment would be best for them. Of course, they take advice from their urologist, but in my experience many also seek out information themselves, looking to established research and charities like Prostate Cancer UK for information on what treatments are…
In this post, I want to talk about a newer modification of radical prostatectomy that I have been practicing for some time. As my patient results have come in – and as other centres have published theirs – it has become clear that this technique, known as Retzius‑sparing radical prostatectomy, is transforming early outcomes for…
Introduction Unlike taking Viagra before a prostatectomy (where there is little proof of a benefit to erections after a prostatectomy), taking Viagra after a prostatectomy (or other tablets from the same Viagra family) is a key part of the recovery process for men to re-attain their erections. In short, the increased blood flow to the…
Introduction I often have patients ask if they should be taking Viagra before a prostatectomy to improve their potency after the operation, and if there are any benefits to it. My own experience (which is to be backed up by other scientific research on the matter) is that there is mostly no benefit to taking…
One of the greatest concerns voiced by uninsured patients who choose to pay for surgery themselves (‘self-funding’) is ‘if I have prostate surgery privately will the NHS look after me afterwards?’ The answer is unequivocally ‘yes’. The NHS is very flexible in this regard – if you are a UK (or EU, at least for…
Introduction Occasionally I have patients coming to see me to enquire about surgery after HIFU treatment has not cured their cancer completely. In some cases, it comes back quite aggressively, so I wanted to write this article to explain what can be done for such patients and what the prognosis can be. How HIFU works…
The concept of prostate cancer recurrence after prostatectomy puzzles many patients. A frequently asked question is ‘how can the cancer come back if the prostate has been removed?’ The explanation is that, as with any cancer, if cancerous cells migrate out of the organ in which they arose before the organ is removed (or treated…
Introduction As enlightened readers of the Prostate Cancer Information Centre will know by now, the PSA test on its own cannot tell us if a patient has prostate cancer (many patients with prostate cancer in fact do not have an abnormal PSA level) – it is only an indicator, although generally a reliable one. As…
Introduction One of the major benefits of keyhole surgery compared to open surgery is a much faster return to normal activities and general exercise. However, radical prostatectomy is still a major operation for a patient to undergo that requires many weeks for the body to fully recover, so it’s important to understand what you should…
Nerve regeneration after radical prostatectomy (and the subsequent return of erectile function) usually does take some time, assuming that both nerve bundles around the prostate were able to be preserved by the surgeon. This is because the nerves and arteries that control erections need time to recover and heal. This article explains why this is…
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