severe shortening of the penis

Dan, I have certainly had some shortening...particularly apparent when flaccid, even more so in the cold. "Mr Turtle" pulls back and hides, it's almost like I imagine it would look if I had a foreskin. Now, when erect, it's difficult to say. Lots of guys report 'loosing an inch', and that's about what I think I lost.

The mystery is why it happens. Where does it go? The research out there really don't have a good answer to the question.

Yep, first thing that greets me in the mirror in the morning is the frightened turtle. What a depressing way to start each day. Seems like I lost a good 2 inches. They must have equipped the DaVinci with a Baskin-Robbins ice cream scoop.

After four and a half years, I occasionally get a weak and temporary stirring early in the morning where the ground hog (woodchuck would be a too optimistic name) pokes it's head out to rise to it's former flaccid magnificence, but then just as quickly retreats back to it's burrow. (sigh)

Geez Dan, how much do you think you lost?

I have to admit this is a timely thread for me because I am concerned also. I just saw the Urologist this past week and that was a part of our discussion. When I am standing he seems to be back to regular size but when sitting or lying down he shortens up like never before. My new nickname for him is shorty and it kind of has me worried some as to what will happen when I eventually get an erection. Maybe I will have to have sex standing up from now on or maybe the erection will be the great equalizer. When lying down I try to pull on him at the base to lengthen him and after a while he seems to get longer, my theory being that like the Brady Bunch episode where Bobby or Peter or whoever was hanging from the swing set to try to get taller, lol. A desperate man indeed.

The Urologist said it is typical to lose an inch. She said it is because the urethra is cut out with the prostate and re-attached so there is a shorter length that is pulling the penis in, even though they pull the bladder down to it there must be some pulling action that creates shorty. It makes sense to me and I think, thank God I had a small prostate because I don't know if a larger prostate equals more urethra cut. My hope is that when I get erections like some here have mentioned, that the loss is negligible. Time will tell.

Sitting down and peeing is a real problem because he shortens up so much he wants to always pee between the toilet seat and the toilet rim, I have to remember to point him down. I remember back in the day if I sat on a low toilet I had to worry about him touching the water. Man, those days are gone forever, lol.

While I knew this might happen I did not dwell on it during my decision making process. But if someone is squarely on the fence as to which treatment they are considering and all things being equal, they may want to take this into consideration....Jim

ps Dan, when did you have your surgery? As others have said, maybe in time with the healing process. I figure a year plus after surgery maybe I'll see some positive change. Plus with my Brady Bunch stretching maybe he'll end up longer :)

This subject should be included on every discussion about pros and cons of surgery, especially for the very low risk guys. It is part of a long list of other unpleasant possibilities.

DH lost about 2 inches over the 17 months since surgery. His surgeon insisted he wouldn't lose anything. She also never mentioned lymphedema, or peyronies, all of which DH got.

He did do rehab with the VED (and even injections for a short period), but very reluctantly, and it was interrupted for a couple months when he was in so much pain from some weird infection/lymphedema issue.

Retreats so far I have to reach in and pull it out to pee or I'd wet myself!
Bob

Dan,
I see this a old tread but I will still respond.
I had RP 9 1/2 months ago with both nerves spared, according to my surgeon, Ca was organ contained. I also had 8 lymph nodes removed which were negative for Ca.
As of now, nothing is happening down there. Did not have any success with Cialis, Viagra, VED pumps. No feelings, no stirrings, nothing spontaneous. I only get erections with TRIMIX but my penis looks pathetically small and tiny like pre pubescent one. I lost 2+ inches of length and lots of girth.
Simple said, I have second navel down there where penis used to hang.
I also, have to sit and urinate, nothing to pull out of my pants.
Pre surgery, I was told, I can loose at the max 1 cm or 3/8 of an inch.
I lost 6 x length mentioned to me before surgery.
BIG DISAPPOINTMENT,
MY current urologist (he did not do my surgery) told me he can not do anything, all non invasive options are gone.
For implant, preserved length is necessary....
So nothing left for me.
Very depressing and hopeless situation.
Hopping, miracle to happen.
MK

The size of the prostate determines the loss of length, imo. It's about the size of a walnut... an inch and a half... if it's enlarged, worse. The urethra passes thru the prostate and when the prostate is removed, that section of the urethra is removed with it. So when the surgeon connects the ends of the severed urethra, a stretching occurs to compensate for the loss.

I lost a little length and gained a slight upward curve... which the wife enjoys so I'm not complaining.

I think problems like Peyronie's disease are the result of the surgeon not lining up the urethra upon suturing the upper and lower pieces together. The only thing I've gotten out of my uro is, "Interesting theory..." I think I'm correct, he won't confirm or dis-confirm my hypothesis. Yet he does acknowledge a "slight shortening among some men..." wink, wink.

If it works use it...often. Good luck.

Just over 4 weeks from surgery, dry most of the time and woke up this morning with a normal sized erection, not that I could use it for anything. I'm told use it or lose it...if not sex then masterbation I guess.

Sure glad I didn't have radiation, with long term concerns about SE uncertainty about severity of cancer, and like surgery worry about reoccurance.

Enough with the silly shots at surgery, and radiation, for that matter.

Hey Guys, this is Dan Adkins again just getting back with ya on the loss in size. Im going to kinda give a rundown on all this and kinda tell ya possibly some of the reason Im having this problem. In 1968 whne I was 13 years old I was in a car accident and the car went over a very high embankment. I was thrown out the back glass because the car flipped and stopped instantly when it hit a drop off on a railroad track with the back of the car hitting first. Because I was thrown out the back glass it cut me up pretty good. It had cut me in the groins, scrotum, and legs more than the upper part of my body for some reason. I'll get to the back to this reason here after I go into a little detail a little further about my problem. I will say this as just as only why Im so embarassed now about my problem. As a man I was fortunate I guess as I was, you might say, very well endowed. I was over 8 inches and the wife and I were very sexually active up until all this happened. I had noticed a curvature to old " Henry " and didnt understand what was going on. I went to my urologist and ask him what was going on here so he then told me that is called Pyronis Disease. Its not something that is like a normal disease thats contagious, it something that men over 50 can commonly have. Its could be caused from an injury at some point in your younger years and of course Ive covered that part already. Also in school I was an avid baseball player and old Henry had taken a few grounders over the years. He told me then that this causes a loss in length but only described it losing an inch or so. Yea right, not in my case Doc! I lost close to 2 inches with that, then in 2013 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I had the surgery on November 6, 2013. After totally healing up from this I never expected the results to end like this. I had lost another 2 to 2 1/2 roughly and an erection was not in the cards for a long time. I lost length, girth, and when and if I do get an erection, its just for a few minutes and Henry crashes. Although Ive had all this happen, I still have all the same desires that I always had but as I said, ashamed of what I have to work with. Ive been married to my wife for 44 years and now theres no sexual activity. Im not sure if its her or its me at this point. As someone said earlier to that its almost like I was never circumsised cause the foreskin covers it up. I live in WVa. and drove all the way to Cleveland Clinic to see a Dr. there about my problem and he thought after looking that I hadnt been fixed as a baby so that tell ya how bad it is. And of course, he did say that I could use an emplant but I really wasnt a good canidate for that kind of surgery because its so painful and wouldnt recomend Viagra or anything like that because I have a brain aneurysm on the left side at the temple area behind my left eye that they wouldnt do surgery on here in Huntington, Wv. where I live so I see a Dr. there at Cleveland clinic and Im on the verge of surgery for this if it grows anymore. Long story, but you guys can see what Im up against. Henry stands at attention early in the morning at times and sometimes for some reason he even looks like her did soft. I mean length, girth, everything but then the next few minutes hes back like he was hiding again. Confuses the heck outta me. Over all this time I think the wife and I have had sex, or tried to maybe 3 times but I did have an orgasm but sure wasnt anything,like before. I just wonder if theres anything out there or anything I could do to make my situation any better. If anybody knows or has a clue, Im sure open for suggestions. If any of you men are going through something like this, man Im all ears here so tell me how you deal with it.

So I'm one of the lucky ones. I have no noticeable decrease in length... My surgeon and I had a long discussion about what to expect after surgery. He said that IF the nerves were spared and IF the prostate came off the nerves easily in all likelihood my erections would be as good after surgery as they are now. He was very clear that it is critical to maintain blood flow to the tissues during surgery as well as after. I inquired as to how it occurred during surgery... He said he operates in blood, doesn't pinch off every bleeder to make the surgery a "clean" dry site. Some surgeons view giving transfusions after a surgery as a mark against them. In fact it is often used as a scorecard.
I have not ED issues at all...None.