psa after removal

hi guys'

 I had a regular scheduled apt with my primary care doc today and he told me that my psa was 1.2 (I had my blood work done last Wednesday when I had my follow up and cath removed) so that was 9 days after surgery, they must put everything in the hospital network computer. I have another apt with my uro next Wednesday and will ask him about it then, but I was expecting a lower number. could this just be residual and it will take longer? strangely enough after everything i've   been through this last couple weeks i'm not worried about this just more curios.

 on another note my uro told me last week to not have sex with my wife for 4 more weeks (like I could)he said to give my incisions time to heal, but he went on to tell me to go it alone to keep the blood flowing down there, so after a couple of attempts over the last week  I took things to completion last night for the first time, what a great feeling! it felt almost the same but not as intense  it felt like something was coming out but nothing did, don't get me wrong I've still got a ways to go (it was only about at 3/4 staff).

 I never would have dreamed I would be writing this on the internet 6 months ago.

carl    

hi again

 thanks for the reply, yes  they took it 9 days post surgery he told me it was for a baseline.

carl

Hi Carl,

I join the others in saying I have never heard of a PSA test less than 2 weeks after surgery. Normally the first PSA reading is not taken for 90 days. That is because it takes time for the remaining PSA to work its way out of the system.

Thus, the PSA probably gets progressively lower & lower in the weeks after surgery until it should be zero at 3 months out. So your particular reading, just 9 days out, is probably just where the level would be expected to be at this juncture.

Take care,
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Pathology showed Gleason 3 + 3, pT2c, N0, MX, R1
adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & VERY slowly getting a bit stronger.