ED prognosis when only one set of nerves spared

Does anyone have any statistics or personal experiences about the likelihood of the return of sexual function when only one set of nerves can be spared?

I know that every case is unique, that age and health and other issues need to be taken into consideration, and that undoubtedly some can cite cases where both sets of nerves were taken but function returns, but what is the general likelihood for those of us who lost one set of nerves.  Sexual function was just fine prior to surgery and health otherwise is excellent.

I'm 3 months post-surgery and doing the re-hab activities that everyone talks about and remain hopeful, but just how hopeful is realistic? 

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

One of our regulars, Purgatory who is taking a break at the moment, lost only one set of nerves and had no ED at all.

And many of us had both sets of nerves saved yet still have great problems with ED.. I am younger than you and in excelent health still the big E plagues me.

Cajun Jeff

clocknut,

bro. piano is correct. i saw his post to your question. my left nerves were removed in my open surgery. due to difficulties, surgeon was unable to access and/or remove right side nerves, surgical notes stated "right nerves left, and appeared damaged" or something to that extent.

its true, i have never experienced a day of ED. i was on a catheter for 63 straight days after surgery. even my surgeon won't take credit for the lack of ED. He is still amazed.

i have never used a pump, never used any ED drugs, never did an injection. after the cath was finally removed, was able to have full natural errections.

since then, i have had 6 stricture corrective surgerys, 2 months of SRT, and most recently, this severe ileal conduit surgery, and despite that, not a hint of ED.

the only difference, ever since SRT, can still orgamsn as easily, and still lasts as long, but the "good" feeling part no where as intense as before SRT.

i came on to answer your post, as i think its important, and i want it to give hope to you, that even with one nerve, all things are possible. i know mine might be a fluke, but it is a fact none the less.

good luck to you, as you find an answer.

david in sc, now going back off line

I lost my nerves on one side and have had no ED problems from day one after my open surgery and I was also about the same age as you

If you go to my site at EXPERIENCES and click on the Surgery links you will see the experiences of over 500 men who chose surgery. Some had excellent outcomes, some less so

Like David/Purgatory I have had no ED
The surgeon told me he was able to do nerve-sparing surgery, but gave no details.
Sure little Alf takes longer to rise to the occasion that he used to and my sex life is not ideal as I have other issues such as not having orgasms, but I am pretty satisfied.

Nerve-sparing is to my mind a very vague description. it suggests that their is aircraft style duplication of identical sets of control wires and if they remove one the system will function perfectly on the back-up: this is not the case.

Nor is it the case that there is just one nerve down the right and one nerve down the left or even one nerve bundle down each side. It is more like there is a whole mesh/net of nerves all over the surface of the prostate. One suggestion that has been made is to imagine that the nerves are like all the white stuff on an orange after you've peeled it. So also imagine what it is like for a surgeon trying to remove the orange while leaving the white stuff intact.

It is clear that while some men have had nerves left behind they don't seem to have had the correct nerves left behind.
It also seems to me that a combination of stimuli via several nerves must be what is needed to achieve, maintain and be able to use an erection. For instance I find it very difficult if not impossible to get an erection on my own even with p*orn: erotic thoughts don't give me erections they just tend to make a bit of urine dribble out of me. However, as soon as my wife gets involved it's easy to perform.
I also have a different level of erectile function depending on whether I am standing, lying, sitting or kneeling.

And as well as nerves the blood supply to the penis needs to be in good shape.

From what I've gleaned from the guys at HW with post-PCa ED it seems clear that it requires a combination of remedies to get and keep things working:, pumps pills and injections, and even then that may not be enough as some guys are opting for implants etc.
On the subject of implants, I have also wondered if there is any way that men could be given an implant that left them with permanently enlarged penis, the same way breast implants leave a woman with permanently enlarged breasts. (In the case of an erection caused by blood it's dangerous for it to last too long as the blood stagnates, for want of a better word, but if the erection was just due to there being silicon in the penis the blood could surely be happily flowing elsewhere. It might take a bit of getting used to, but more akin to having a leg in plaster than a false leg perhaps.

Alf