Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the gland of a man that is responsible for producing the fluid content of the semen. This particular type of cancer is treatable through surgery. However, a recent study revealed that there are men who are unaware of the fact that surgery can increase the risks of having sexual dysfunctions.
A team of researchers from various clinics and medical centers in the country has conducted the study by doing a survey on 336 men that have experienced any sort of sexual dysfunctions at least 3 months after their prostate gland removal operation known as radical prostatectomy. The participants, whose age average is 64, were then divided into two groups. The first one, which makes up about 70 percent of all participants, went through the traditional open surgery, while the remaining people have gone through a robot assisted operation.
After asking a set of questions regarding their sexual abilities before the operation such as their ability to ejaculate, longevity in bed and erection, the researchers found out that at least 88 percent of the open surgery group and 91 percent of the robot assisted group were able to have normal sex before the operation. However, only 38 percent had the knowledge that the surgery can affect the nerves that preserve their sexual functions.
The researchers also found out that only half of the participants knew that once they went through the surgery, it would stop their ability to ejaculate. The study also reported that less than 10 percent of all the participants knew about the possibility of a decrease in the size of their penis once the operation is over.
The report didn't analyze the information that the patient received prior to the operation, that's why the researchers couldn't figure out what was given to them or what things they could remember from their doctors. However, according to Dr. Joshua Meeks, a urologist affiliated with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, the result of the study still shows that men don't remember the important things that the doctors tell them. And that is the reason why they still expect that they can 'perform' at the same level than they used to. Dr. Meeks then explained the importance of having their spouses during their pre-operation talk with the doctor in order for them to remember the things that these men forget.
