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How potent are you after RP? (Take 2)

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Prostate Cancer
How potent are you after RP?
For the most part unchanged except for dry organisms. - 20.8% - 10 votes
Usually successful with some reduction in pleasure/potency. Meds can be required. - 14.6% - 7 votes
Significantly reduced potency but some success with meds - 12.5% - 6 votes
Rarely successful. Occasional success with meds. - 10.4% - 5 votes
Basically impotent. - 41.7% - 20 votes
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Posted 1/18/2015 3:31 AM (GMT 0)
I hear varying stories regarding ED following RP - some say that as much as 60-70% of healthy men retain potency while others are much less enthusiastic. Going by men I speak to who've gone through the procedure, I find this doubtful. I've never met one yet that isn't dealing with ED to some level or other. My urologist has been pretty upfront saying that it's never going to be the same and that I have about a 50/50 chance of potency. Surprisingly, I don't think that I've ever seen members with RP polled on this issue. To be fair, I think we should establish a few prerequisites:

- You should have been at least reasonably potent before RP. If one has sexual difficulties before RP it is unrealistic to expect potency afterward.

- You should be at least a year out of surgery before claiming impotency. However conversely if you are 2 months out of surgery and fairly potent, I think it is fair to answer.

It also doesn't help to sugar coat things. I would rather go in with my eyes wide open and perhaps be pleasantly surprised than go in with unrealistic expectations.
Posted 1/18/2015 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
From my post at your other thread:
"Between 4 and 5. Actually a 5 unless you count injections or pumps leading to occasional success with much reduced performance and pleasure at 11 months out as being not impotent, then a 4."

However, I am not 1 year/12 months out, but only 11 months. Close enough that I felt qualified to vote, hopefully that is OK.
Posted 1/18/2015 8:25 AM (GMT 0)
I was getting erections a few days after surgery while the catheter was still in. My willie was trying to gobble/crawl up a rubber snake, funny now, painful then. Had to quickly think of unpleasant visual thoughts to calm him down. Today I'm glad to say it's like HBO on demand. We are not talking broomstick here (not in my 20's) but the same prior to surgery, and enough to do what it was meant to do.

Surgeon stated the nerves peeled away nicely, as apposed to what ? I think success was due to “peeling away nicely” as apposed to riping/tearing ?
Posted 1/18/2015 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
At 5 years I feel qualified to answer.

Before this experience I didn't know orgasm was possible without an erection. At least that still feels good.
Posted 1/18/2015 1:19 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I suffered ED prior to treatment ( I now believe PC was at least one source of the problem). And that has not changed since surgery and SRT. On the good side however is that I can still reach orgasm and it is pretty intense!!
Posted 1/18/2015 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
For this poll does "meds" mean pills, or injections, or both/either? My understanding is most guys are quite successful with erections when using injections.

-Gedman
Posted 1/18/2015 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
My urologist also told me about the 60/40 odds. He also explained that among those that were counted as successful they counted guys that required PDE5s and/or shots. He further explained that older guys (greater than 60) did not have as good a chance as younger guys (40s and 50s); older guys do not heal (regenerate nerves?) as well.

I was 62 years old when DXed. 6 years later I find myself in his successful category .... Requiring PDE5s and/or shots. I am about 50 percent with nothing, 90 percent with levitra, 100 percent (plus) with Trimix.

Also, I believe that if you have a large Prostate (mine was 72 grams) your odds go down as it is harder to strip the very fine nerves, that have been stretched over a larger area, off of the Prostate.
Posted 1/18/2015 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the responses so far. Just for everyone's info, I had to click on one of the items in order to see the poll (something that I didn't think of). I clicked on the second option.
Posted 1/18/2015 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
My Bf had surgery a year ago in October (2013). Age at that time 48. There has been steady progress. At beginning got partial erection with meds, needed to use pump for intercourse. Started using injections, these worked great and we were able to be 100% successful with them. We felt that thing improved after starting injections. At the one year mark, he can get partial erection without meds, 75%. With meds I think he is at 85-90% with erection. Enough to have successful intercourse. With injections 100%. We are pretty happy using just pills now for intercourse. He used to talk about orgasms not being as strong, I haven't heard him say anything about that recently and he REALLY seems to be enjoying the outcome. So I answered the second choice since we are still using meds, but he always has successful results.
Posted 1/18/2015 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
After this poll has pretty much run its course, I'd be interested in seeing the results. But I cant, I don't want to vote and skew the results, since I am not even two weeks out of surgery.

So if someone could type out the results, it would be appreciated, I'm sure not just by me but for the other newbies here who don't have a vote
Thanks.
Posted 1/18/2015 5:58 PM (GMT 0)

Pratoman said...
After this poll has pretty much run its course, I'd be interested in seeing the results. But I cant, I don't want to vote and skew the results, since I am not even two weeks out of surgery.

So if someone could type out the results, it would be appreciated, I'm sure not just by me but for the other newbies here who don't have a vote
Thanks.

I wish that I had created an "other" category for this purpose. I don't know if it would be possible for the mods to add one at this stage?
Posted 1/18/2015 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Dreamerboy.
I wonder how much the results are skewed by voters who not only had RP, but had Art, SRT, and/or HT as well. Just something to think about

I wonder if anyone has seen controlled peer reviewed studies on this with men grouped by RP alone, and RP with additional treatment, and Radiation alone. I'm guessing those studies exist somewhere
Posted 1/18/2015 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
Now that you've seen the results, I thought I should edit my post because after thinking about it the results probably shouldn't appear in case they influence someone's votes. However, I will post the results again in a week or two when the poll should have run it's course. I would be good to have an option "Not voting but would like to see the results" for such polls so someone who could not vote could see the results without skewing the percentages. Unfortunately I don't think such polls are programmed to accommodate this. A second best would have been an "other" category.
Posted 1/18/2015 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Dreamerboy,
The only way to modify a poll is to simply delete the entire thread and start over.

As to the question, you did not offer a significant option, being that where there was never the remote hope of regaining a natural erection, but one is 100% with shots. That would be me. Pity that it works so well, now that I'm permanent on lupron, and don't care anymore ....
Posted 1/19/2015 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
I had no problems before rp (supposed nerve sparing)
5 years out and not had an erection in all that time.
If I could find my surgeon I'd punch him.

Mike
Posted 1/19/2015 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
At 7:55 p.m. Sunday.....

How potent are you after RP?
2
For the most part unchanged except for dry organisms. - 8.3%
4
Usually successful with some reduction in pleasure/potency. Meds can be required. - 16.7%
3
Significantly reduced potency but some success with meds - 12.5%
4
Rarely successful. Occasional success with meds. - 16.7%
11
Basically impotent. - 45.8%
Posted 1/19/2015 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not going to vote for Bob because we're just now almost to the two month mark. Cialis therapy started. No erection yet. Doctor said it could take up to a year but not really seeing it happening since he had ED issues before he ever had surgery.
Posted 1/19/2015 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
Potency is returning ... did not have issues prior to RRP; 15 months out PDE5i work just OK.
.
Posted 1/19/2015 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
Judging from the results of this poll, it would seem that the odds are against men having eventual normal erectile function after RALP. Not nil, but certainly low odds, based on this poll.

I can't help but wonder, if the poll is skewed by the fact that many of the guys here are guys who have had issues of one kind or another. Just like so many guys who have successful surgery, with no BCR, move on after a year or two and are not heard from here.

Maybe it's just me projecting what I want yo think, but I don't think so.
Posted 1/19/2015 3:57 AM (GMT 0)

Pratoman said...
Judging from the results of this poll, it would seem that the odds are against men having eventual normal erectile function after RALP. Not nil, but certainly low odds, based on this poll.

I can't help but wonder, if the poll is skewed by the fact that many of the guys here are guys who have had issues of one kind or another. Just like so many guys who have successful surgery, with no BCR, move on after a year or two and are not heard from here.

Maybe it's just me projecting what I want yo think, but I don't think so.

I agree with you Prato. Some stay around after success, but it has to be skewed I'm sure.
Posted 1/19/2015 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Prior to RP I was encouraged to attend a seminar - basically extolling the DaVinci procedure...
In that meeting the dominant answer to return of normal sexual function was 'generally 6 months..'
( BTW - this was to help patients make the decision as to which treatment to choose )..
Well, at 2 years out I'm still basically 'impotent' without injections and a VED...

I'd punch them, too..!!
Posted 1/19/2015 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Obviously I wouldn't really assault the surgeon who buggered up my sex life, I'd certainly speak my mind strongly to him though.

I don't feel I can fully say on this site how I really feel about what I consider deception by the staff at the hospital I had my RP at with regard to erections post op in case it skews somebody against the surgical option (which may well be the best treatment for them)

Mike
Posted 1/19/2015 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Spotty Dog. Certainly not...just figure of speech..

But, in my case, the Urology group in concert with the Hospital did certainly misrepresent the DaVinci stats..

I wouldn't really punch them, either. The surgeon probably was unaware how they were promoting DaVinci.
Posted 1/19/2015 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
AS this thread has moved along, I found several articles using "Dr. Google", that basically back up what is said here: (my summary)
1. There are a LOT of variables, among them age, general health before surgery, actual surgical actions, etc.
2. All things considered, somewhere around 50% of patients have full sexual recovery, without meds, pumps, shots, etc. within a year. This applies, by the way, both to surgical patients and radiation patients.
3. Of the rest, about 50% have pretty good results with one of several ED treatments.
4. For the rest, well, it is what it is. Ultimately, 1 in 4 of us will have unsolveable problems.
That's my gleaning from a number of articles. And, that does count ALL of us, including those who had ED issues before treatment, and those of all age groups.

Unfortunately, there also isn't a good way today to predict who will be in which group. I know I've been told that I'll be on daily cialis "a couple weeks after surgery". It does sound like sooner is better, and regular stimulation makes a difference....but how much is statistically unknown.
Posted 1/20/2015 12:00 AM (GMT 0)
The results as of Monday evening are:
3.9., 9.7%
5, 16.1% (skewed by my answer)
5, 16.1%
4, 12.9%
14, 45.2 %

(On reflection, I don't think this is the type of poll where knowing the results would influence other's responses.)

I am taken a little aback - I thought category 2 and 3 would have a better showing. And almost half in category 5 is a little disconcerting. On the positive side, there are 3 members, or almost 10% in category one.

However, it is a valid point that those who visit forums may have more issues. I suspect the 50/50 ratio that my physician and others quoted may be about right. In the meantime, keeping my fingers crossed.
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