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3 months ago I underwent a proctocolectomy due to UC.
My partner and I have a one year-old daughter and have been considering a second child, so the risk of infertility was also a concern for us prior to surgery.
My surgeon explained there are two potential risks for male infertility as a result of a proctocolectomy (specifically the part of the surgery to remove the rectum, which is close to the prostate etc).
The first resulting from erectile dysfunction, which can happen if there is nerve damage as a result of surgery. According to the surgeon, the risk of eeectile dysfunction from all bowel surgeries (not just proctocolectomies) is 20% (1 in 5). However, he explained that most of these result from surgeries for colon cancer rather than proctocolectomies because surgery for colon cancer takes place closer to the nerves that affect erectile function.
The second risk is retrograde ejaculation as a result of the surgery. I don't know how common this is with proctocolectomies.
Fortunately, neither of these risks happened as a result of my surgery - everything still works down there!
But if you want to be safe there is always the option to freeze your sperm. My partner and I considered this as a safety net but I was too sick from the UC to even make an initial consultation let alone go through the blood tests etc.
I would also suggest you ask your surgeon how many of his/her patients have ended up with erectile and fertility issues as a result of this surgery. At the end of the day, a lot depends on the skill of your surgeon.
Post Edited (GC4249) : 9/15/2016 7:37:27 AM (GMT-6)