What is the prostate in men? The prostate gland, or prostate, is a very vulnerable part of the male body. Several diseases threaten her at once. It is used to get rid of this ailment that threatens men's he alth with medical and surgical treatment. Moreover, the choice depends on the manifestation of the disease.
The prostate gland is removed by the operative method. Adenoma and cancer are indications for surgery.
Consider in this article a procedure such as removal of the prostate. The consequences will also be described.
What are prostate diseases?
An obsolete name for hyperplasia is prostate adenoma. The nature of this disease is benign. In this case, nodules are formed, which grow over time. Adenoma, or hyperplasia, is one of the most common diseases. The average age of affected men is 45-50 years old.
But it is important to understand thata benign nature does not mean a guarantee that it will not turn into a malignant formation. Prostate adenoma is very easy to diagnose. To do this, it is enough to pass an analysis to determine the prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is produced by glandular tissue cells.
And if it's cancer?
Of course, there is also a possibility of oncology. The prostate specific antigen found during the study may also indicate cancer. Then, it may be necessary to partially or completely remove the prostate. The implications for men's he alth will be discussed later.
If oncology is detected, then simply surgery will not be enough. Most likely, it will be necessary to carry out therapy that can destroy cancer cells in the body. The choice of treatment methods depends heavily on the stage of the disease. Often the prostate is removed (in whole or in part), and after this surgical intervention is prescribed:
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy;
- hormone therapy.
Surgery: types
If necessary, remove the prostate. The consequences of this can be serious. More on that later.
There are several types of surgical intervention. The most common include:
- Incision. First, they penetrate into the urethra, then the glandular tissue is vertically incised, after which it is possible to expand the lumen.
- Transurethral resection of the prostate. A special instrument is inserted through the urethra, with the help of which the glandular tissue is excised.
- Radical prostatectomy. It is the main method of treatment for the removal of not only glandular tissue. In addition, the capsule, seminal vesicles, iliac lymph nodes are removed (this is determined by the doctor).
Prostate surgery
The indication for surgery is the presence of a tumor, but without widespread metastasis throughout the body. If the case is severely neglected, then only palliative treatment is resorted to (this is supportive therapy aimed at prolonging the life of the patient).
Contraindications
General anesthesia is required to perform the intervention. To avoid complications, contraindications should be taken into account:
- old age, which comes at 70;
- presence of cardiovascular disease;
- presence of acute inflammatory (infectious) diseases.
Possible Complications
Even if the complete (with oncology) or partial (with adenoma) removal of the prostate was carried out at the highest level, the consequences are not excluded. It is not always possible to avoid the following complications:
- Sclerosis of the bladder neck.
- Presence of PSA in the blood. With prostate cancer, PSA in the blood of a man steadily increases, therefore, it is considered the primary diagnosis when contacting a medical institution.
- General complications in the postoperative period: inflammation,weakness, suppuration.
- Retention of urine. Occurs quite often. Anything can lead to urinary retention, for example, blood clots left after surgery, or physiological changes in the canal. It is clear that such a consequence is not safe for a man. This can lead to swelling, acute kidney failure, inflammation of the bladder or kidneys, and blood in the urine. If the prostate has been removed, the consequences for the body are quite unpleasant.
- Leakage, urinary incontinence. In 10-12% of patients after the intervention, urine may involuntarily leak or be incontinent. Sometimes the cause of the complication is that the glandular tissue has not been completely removed. It is pointless to treat incontinence in this case, a second operation will be required. If you have urinary incontinence after surgery, see your doctor immediately.
- Inflammatory process. The cause of the occurrence is an infection or an individual reaction of the body. The main sign of inflammation will be pain, fever, chills, an unpleasant odor and purulent discharge. It is required to go to the hospital as soon as possible for treatment.
- Pain syndrome. For about a week, a maximum of 10 days after surgery, a person will normally feel pain. If the deadlines have passed, but the pain still persists, you should also visit your doctor and start treatment after prostate removal.
- No sperm or retrograde ejaculation (complete/partial). This outcome is the most common. ATthe bladder is filled with semen. If you pass urine for analysis, it can be detected.
- In addition, there is the main and undesirable consequence after the removal of the prostate, which all men are afraid of - a violation of potency. But there is no need to panic, it happens rarely and only in the later stages of oncology, the main thing here is to save a person’s life. Exceptions also happen, but if all the doctor's recommendations are followed and with a competent preparatory process for the operation, the risk can be reduced. It is important not to detect PSA in a blood test after prostate removal.
The consequences for men's he alth may be different.
Additional Consequences
Consequences could be:
- Various allergic reactions (rash, redness, burning, swelling, anaphylactic shock).
- Sepsis.
- Doubts about complete excision of the tumor.
Severe blood loss is also possible when the prostate is removed. This is not a very common occurrence, but this kind of complication can occur. A blood transfusion will be required to correct the situation.
There is a possibility of water intoxication during transurethral resection. The reason for this is the irrigation of the urethra during the operation with an antiseptic solution.
What to do if complications develop?
If any negative reaction of the body occurs, this should not be considered the norm, but you should immediately consult a doctor. Importantunderstand that even with oncology after removal of the tumor, a man has a chance to lead a full life for at least 10 years. But if the stage of cancer is later, then the development of complications cannot be avoided. Especially when finding PSA in blood tests or existing metastases. Then the preservation of the physiological functions of men is unlikely to be discussed. When the cancer is in its last stage, and the metastases have already grown into the human lymphatic system, the challenge will be to prolong the patient's life.
What are the activities for recovery after surgery?
Many people are most worried about maintaining the ability to have sex after surgery, because they do not fully know what the prostate is in men.
What can the full restoration of potency depend on?
There are several reasons:
- From the age of the patient. The older he is, the less likely he is to restore sexual function. In addition to age, the general condition of the body plays a significant role. The production of testosterone is gradually reduced, which causes sexual disorders and a decrease in potency. Erection after prostate removal is not so good, sometimes disappears altogether.
- From the condition of the blood vessels of the penis. An erection can occur without the prostate gland, provided that the blood flow and the integrity of the vessels are preserved. But even if there has been a violation of the vessels, now there are many methods that will ensure the filling of the organ with blood, that is, an erection occurs virtually withoutsexual desire. There are special pills and injections for this.
- Male hormones cannot be fully produced due to prostate cancer. This leads to a deterioration in the general well-being of a man.
It is normal that the sexual function does not work immediately after the operation. With an early stage of cancer, it is possible to restore he alth and sexual functions in a year or two after surgery. During this period, the body will be completely renewed, the hormonal background will improve, and other important processes will be restored in full. You don't need a prostate for this. For men, the operation should not cause panic.
Conclusion
If you have an erection before the removal of the prostate, it will remain after it. The main thing is to ensure proper rehabilitation, then potency can not only be restored, but also improved. It is important to understand that the removal of the prostate (we examined the consequences in detail) is not a sentence for a man! Gotta move on!
