Smaller penis after prostatectomy??

It seems to me and am pretty sure that the size of my penis is smaller since surgery.Does anyone else notice similar change in theirs?This wasn't something we are told about either and I did not read it anywhere prior to the surgery.Any comments on this guys?My surgery was in 2009.
Nick

Not the case here.

I think this is either a myth or a result of how some surgeons re-attach the urethra as I've read that perhaps this process can account for some minimal shortening if done in a certain way.

Happened to me. The surgery removed the prostate and attached the urethra to the bladder. The urethra apparently doesn't stretch lengthways so the inch or so of missing material had to be made up somewhere. Reeled in the penis.

Happened to me to, though I'd read about it beforehand, and asked my surgeon candidates about. One said, as White Bird said, that when you remove the prostate, you remove about 1.5 inches of urethra length. That is that. The other surgeon said that the penis length is made up for by the bladder dropping down. I suppose both can happen--in some guys the bladder moves, in other guys it doesn't. Or, like Purgatory, it takes some time to move. In my case, I noticed the reduced length over the first several months. But now (over 3 years later) I think I have regained some. Haven't taken out a ruler to be sure though. It certainly felt like an erection was pulling on the urethra and bladder, and so full erection was painful for many months, but gradually decreased.

The first time my wife saw poor little Water Winnie after my surgery she said who stole it?  I told her the URO did and sold it to some medical school.

I have noticed in the last few months it is getting back to almost pre-surgery size both soft and when Trimix juiced. So I guess my bladder has dropped down into the old prostate void.

there are plenty of anecdotal accounts that discount that this takes place.

Perhaps it has to do with "use".

I was told to use it or lose it so I did, and often. Told my wife it was the Dr's orders.

I really don't know what the truth is here.

First off, I doubt most men actually measure their penis. That sounds like something a teen would do and I doubt we all have carefully kept notes from those teen years. Then there actually might be a difference in how the procedure is conducted vis-a-vis reattaching the urethra. If a candidate has a longer urethra for instance it probably helps.

I remember looking and trying to figure it out and didn't notice a difference. Then I vividly remember that when I started taking the ED pills for rehab purposes ONLY (prior to having sex) I would notice that in the flaccid state it actually looked bigger. Of course it was not bigger, but the blood flowing probably jacked it up some. Then I did start having sex 1 month out and it was clearly the same. Whether that is a good thing or not is up for debate...


ah, some of that "dangerous" internet surfing that validates what I'm saying:

How Prostatectomy Affects Penis Size

"Harold A. Frazier II, MD, clinical director of urologic oncology at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., says the procedure itself is what might cause the decrease in penis size. “When the prostate is removed, there is a 3- to 5-centimeter gap inside the body, and the bladder has to be pulled down to the urethra, which is attached to the penis,” he says. “When the bladder is reattached to the urethra, the penis may be ‘pulled’ back into the body a small amount [maybe half a centimeter]. The actual length of the penis does not change. It is simply pulled back slightly.”

Another factor that affects penis size after a prostatectomy is the period of impotence that usually follows the procedure. “As the penis is a dynamic and muscular organ, the normal physiology of the penis is to go through daily cycles of erection, and those periods of fullness naturally maintain its size and length,” says David Y.T. Chen, MD, a professor of urologic oncology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “For men who undergo prostatectomy, there is commonly a period of impotence following surgery. The effect on penis size appears not directly due to surgery, but secondary to the extent and duration of the impotence.”

http://www.carepages.com/cancer/prostate-cancer-and-penis-size.html

Post Edited (davidg) : 4/29/2012 11:02:42 AM (GMT-6)

"It seems to me and am pretty sure that the size of my penis is smaller since surgery."

I KNOW mine is.....Erection? what's an erection??

I wish it was a myth but I was never 'huge' to begin with. Now 29 months after surgery I still have not had an erection nor do I seem to care to have one. I'm still incontinent and no longer use urinals because the little fellow seems to work best (better) when sitting, that is as in, 'not peeing down my pant legs' because I simply can't pull it out far enough, it's that short.

As a consolation, at the age of 73, I do have fond memories

of my much younger days and pre-prostate problems. LOL

It's absolutely not a myth

one of the most difficult parts of my recovery, it trying to get used to a body that is different than before. you know yourself. there is definitely a shortening effect and I notice it every day. 'nough said.

sfigato - are you noticing a difference in length when erect?

I'm not trying to be funny or inappropriate, but it sounds like you're saying your balls seem smaller but that you can't tell with the actual shaft when erect.

I would venture a guess, and it doesn't apply to you, that those who cannot get full erections really cannot judge this issue properly as length during flaccid state often changes but when one is fully erect it's a final verdict on the actual size.

Just saying that there are a lot of factors to consider before making a call on size change and that size should be measured on a fully erect penis.

Laughing at myself as I write this stuff. God forbid my kids ever walk by this and misinterpret the nature of this discussion.

You guys are finally telling me that they were suppose to keep the penis attached? Unbelievable! I have been looking for him ever since surgery. I thought he went to the land fill along with the prostate, the critical bundle of nerves, the surrounding tissues. I want a refund!

I had my nerve bundles removed and the penis atrophied dramatically. The tip and head are now always covered by the sheath (in other words, it looks like it does after you jump into a swimming pool of ice cubes!). When peeing, it is pretty much impossible to get the head over the scrotum, resulting in constant scrotum wetting. It is not longer possible to use a public urinal. When leaking (yeah, it does that too) since the penis is inside itself, the leak does not go directly to the pad, but coats all body parts, so that everything is always wet. On the bright side, at least after 2 years I'm still less <.01