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Should I consider daily ED drug therapy prior to surgery?

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Posted 5/10/2011 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hey folks,

I'm about a month out from my scheduled RALP surgery.

I attended my local Us-Too chapter meeting last night and the topic of discussion was ED rehabilitation.  One of the subjects that came up was starting a daily regimen of ED drugs prior to surgery as this will increase and maintain blood flow to tissue, thereby hopefully reducing healing times and improving chances of retaining / restoring erectal control post-op.

I've read a lot about the use of ED drugs here on the forum and it seems to me they certainly can't hurt.  I've never used any ED drugs before so I don't have a clue if one is better than the other.  However, from what I've read it seems that Viagra is more of a wham-bam single use drug whereas Cialis and Levitra are better suited for long-term daily use.

Should I consider starting a daily regimen of Cialis prior to surgery?  It's difficult to get an appointment with my urologist and I'm not scheduled to see him again until June 1st.  Do I just order a month or two of 5mg generic Cialis from ADC or should I consider seeing my regular family doc and getting some samples of the competing brands that way?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Posted 5/10/2011 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
I would always talk to at least your GP before taking anything at all prior to surgery. There is quite the list of contra-indications (at least there were for me), and you don't want to suddenly create a problem that leaves you suspect for being surgery-ready.

That aside, if the doc clears you, at least you can test them for side effects and the like.

I use Cialis daily (5mg).

Posted 5/10/2011 3:59 PM (GMT 0)

If you have a spouse of GF - I'd think you wouldn't need to use any meds...Guess you could combine the meds and the spouse..

Be sure and ask your surgeon about stopping any meds well in advance of surgery.

Posted 5/10/2011 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
I'd check with your GP or Urologist first, too. I have heard that it is good to get an idea of which product you like the best and also to have a baseline for after the surgery. I have been thinking trying them first before my procedure also. Interesting thought about the blood flow.
Posted 5/10/2011 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Always a good idea to check with your surgeon, urologist or GP about any meds before surgery. I expect your support group reviewed the studies at NYU and Baylor where use of Viagra (and MUSE in the case of the Baylor work) before surgery resulted in better recovery of erectile function post prostatectomy. If not, Google Viagra before prostatectomy and they will pop up. Good luck from a guy who still suffers from ED three years post Davinci. I needed Viagra before surgery but it didn't work after. Pump worked but geez! How off putting can you get!

Road racer
Posted 5/10/2011 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
I don't see the point of doing that prior to surgery. Sure wouldn't do it without your doctor's consnet. If you don't have any ED issues now, don't see where it would help you prep in anyway for what you may or may not have for ED issues after surgery.

I would sure advise having all the pre-surgery "normal" sex you can stand prior to surgery, as even with the best results, it will never be the same for you, as it is now.

Good luck

David in SC
Posted 5/10/2011 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for the sound advice.  I feel very lucky to have found this forum.
Posted 5/11/2011 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
My urologist after my surgery had wished he had started me on ED drugs or pump.
May even want to look at increasing blood flow using Vacuum Pump prior to - should help
tom
Posted 5/11/2011 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
As others have said, check with your doc first.

My uro prescribed 5mg Cialis for a month prior to surgery and I had no issues getting to to respond without the drugs, no cardiovascular disease. He said the theory is PDE5 inhibitors are beneficial to epithelial cells inside the penis and starting on them before surgery helps with their recovery post op. I think I also saw this same claim from the Memorial Slone-Kettering Cancer clinic.
Posted 5/11/2011 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
I would check with my urologist first. However, my urologist started me on a caily dose of Cialis about 5 weeks before surgery. It is a standard approach for a lot of Urologists. I assume the goal is to get the Penil tissue as healthy as possible prior to surgery. It supposedly improves your chances of recovery.
Posted 5/11/2011 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
I would check with my urologist first. However, my urologist started me on a caily dose of Cialis about 5 weeks before surgery. It is a standard approach for a lot of Urologists. I assume the goal is to get the Penil tissue as healthy as possible prior to surgery. It supposedly improves your chances of recovery.
Posted 5/11/2011 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
I wish I had used the pills a year before surgery. I tried one a couple days before and was impressed with the response. , Just wish I had used them much earlier. Whether it would have speed up recovery I don't know
Posted 5/11/2011 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
John-
Dont pay out of pocket for the ED pills, Tricare will pay for them!
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