Every patient is different, I suppose, and every operation differs according to physiological circumstances and the skill of the surgeon. It goes without saying, moreover, that much depends on whether surgery is accompanied by nerve sparing procedures. But in my case (I was 64 at the time of my operation) erections came back naturally about a year after surgery. The sex drive isn’t quite what it was, and sometimes foreplay needs to include a little more manual stimulation than used to be the case. But my wife and I can enjoy full penetrative sex, without artificial aids of any kind. Don’t be dismayed by what you read on forums. Those who recover fully from radical prostate surgery tend not to write to forums, with the result that forum discussions, though extremely useful, can give a slightly over-pessimistic picture. Don’t give up hope, and be prepared to use lots and lots of patience.
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Routine blood test in October 2004 showed PSA of 14.6. No outward symptoms of any trouble whatsoever (peeing etc quite normal), but prostate biopsy in January 2005 revealed presence of aggressive tumour. Given bone scan and thorough pre-op checks in March (chest X-ray, checks on heart and breathing) by which time PSA had risen to 16.9. Operation ("traditional" open prostatectomy with nerve sparing) carried out in April 2005. A month after the operation, PSA had fallen to 0.05. Apart from incontinence (beginning to go after 4 weeks) there were no post-op problems. Blood test done in late August 2005, four months after the operation, showed PSA of 0.01. I have had five PSA blood tests since then (one every three months) each one coming in at either 0.01 or <0.01.