Posted 2/14/2018 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Ivic--
My advice to anyone who is worrying about unexplained symptoms that develop post-RP is to call your surgeon and discuss it. Your surgeon knows exactly what took place during your surgery and is in the best position to explain what might be causing your symptoms, whether they are likely to resolve on their own without further intervention, and whether any testing is called for. So please, let your surgeon know about your concerns. Don't be shy to call: it's part of the service package you've paid for.
An RP, even a "minimally invasive" robotic one, totally messes with your innards. A few lucky fellows have a smooth and uneventful recovery, but many of us develop odd aches and pains that come and go as our bodies adjust to a prostateless lower abdomen. In all likelihood, at 2 weeks that's what's going on. But again, report your symptoms to your surgeon.
Since you had lymph nodes removed, your particular aches could be related to the development of a lymphocele -- a collection of lymph fluid at the site of a removed LN that isn't draining on its own. about 10 percent of RP patients who had lymph nodes dissected will develop a lymphocele. It can be detected by ultrasound. It's a benign condition -- not a sign of persistent PCa -- but a large lymphocele can put pressure on nerves and blood vessels. In those circumstances, they can cause hip and groin pain. For that reason, surgeons often routinely order an ultrasound at 6 weeks for patients who had LNs removed. If the US reveals a lymphocele, the usual practice is to wait and see if it resolves on its own -- most of them do. If a lymphocele persists or gets infected, it can be drained. I had a lymphocele appear on US, and a couple of weeks later developed hip and groin pain, which persisted for about six weeks and then went away for good. A recent MRI (done for other reasons) showed no signs of lymphocele. So when you talk to your surgeon, you might want to bring that up and see what he says.