Will My Sex Life Function Normally After Prostate Surgery?
Jun 24, 2024
Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer affecting men, second only to skin cancer. Each year, about 90,000 prostatectomies (surgical prostate removal) are performed.
While these procedures and related treatments have a high success rate for preserving your health and longevity, they can take a toll on your sex life. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find your way back to better function.
Our experts at Kane Health, serving the Silicon Valley, Redwood City, and the San Francisco Bay area of California, offer a post prostate cancer recovery (PPCR) program to help you regain your sexual health and well-being.
Read on to learn more about the link between prostate surgery and sex life changes, including ways we can help.
Prostate cancer affects about one in eight men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB), with an average diagnosis age of 66. It happens when cells in your prostate gland grow uncontrollably. While most people are diagnosed during early screening tests before symptoms arise, signs may include:
If the disease hasn’t spread beyond your prostate, treatment often consists of a radical prostatectomy to remove the prostate and some surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. For more advanced prostate cancer, you may need additional treatments.
Prostate surgery affects people and their sex lives differently. Potential sex-related side effects of surgery, as well as other treatments like radiation and proton therapy, may include:
Many of these issues derive from hormone changes and injury to your blood vessels or nerves involved with sexual function.
The sexual effects of prostate cancer treatment can also impact your self-esteem, sexual confidence, and intimacy with a partner. Exhaustion and fatigue from prostate treatments can affect your sex life, too, given that it’s challenging to be “in the mood” when you feel diminished energy.
Here’s the good news: Most people diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer early can regain sexual function. The process can be gradual, often taking up to a year or longer without support.
Our PPCR program is holistic and personalized, so it addresses your specific needs from numerous important aspects of your health. Factors that influence your symptoms and ideal treatment include your age, the stage of your cancer prior to treatment, and the cancer treatment you received.
At Kane Health, experienced urologist Dr. Threatt oversees each patient’s PPCR program, so you can expect quality one-on-one time and personalized guidance. You may receive proprietary medication and acoustic wave therapy to generate new blood vessel growth and more. Within 3-6 weeks of starting the program, most people notice improved sexual function.
To learn more about sex after prostate surgery or get the customized care you need, call our office or request an appointment through our website today.