Digital exam after prostate removed?

I was surprised at one of my many follow ups with my urologist that he still wants and does a rectal digital exam once a year. After having my prostate removed I thought I would get a lifetime pass on that rubber gloved indignity. Is this normal?
Btw my many follow ups are due to urethral strictures that appeared after surgery.

David,

It probably wouldn't sound good if you said you liked it.

They are just being thorough, looking for lumps, bumps, or growths.

Sure beats an MRI, or Ct scan.

Goodlife

I also had thought that DREs would no longer take place after a prostatectomy. Personally, I have NOT had one performed in the 2 years since my surgery.

But I have heard that thorough doctors do still like to feel the prostate bed to make sure there are no growths, etc.

I'm lucky, so far, in that my general practicioner at Mayo has left any DREs up to the Urology Dept because they did the surgery on me. When I saw the Urology Dept, they said nothing about a DRE -- and I certainly did not bring it up. LOL

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.

Maybe it's just another procedure they can bill for.....At the end of the month, it all adds up..

I haven't had a DRE since my surgery either, although at my last physical the doc started putting on the rubber glove and said, "time to check your prostate."

I said, "What prostate"?

He said, "Oh yeah."

I get the every time I go in for an exam (monthly, quarterly, etc). The concern is that if after surgery, any cancer cells that remain, start to grow and create a new tumor. I agree with you that it just is counter intuitive, but I do see their point or is that pointed finger?

I guess the DRE and the PSA are both needed to make sure they catch a recurrence one way or other. So, like Chevy Chase in Fletch, we get to sing Moon River every single time.

Sounds about right, Steve. I recall many years ago that my doctor performed a DRE and then placed the gloved finger on something like a litmus paper -- probably to look for some sort of reaction that might have indicated blood or perhaps infection, etc.

Here's the thing, I have ulcerative colitis. That makes this extremely uncomfortable. My RP Surgery was 2003. PSA is always negligible (0.0?). So... Is this a waste of time or extreme diligence? I should mention I also had a carcinoid tumor in my right lung in 2007. That resulted in 2/3 of right lung being removed.

"extreme diligence"

Still following up because of urethral strictures from original surgery. Have had 4 surgeries to try to rectify this, but scar tissue keeps coming back.

I haven't had a DRE since surgery over 5 years ago.

I hate these type of threads. As we walk away, we are forced to think , " is my doctor right or wrong ?", " is he less diligent, or more diligent ?", is he smarter or dumber ? Etc., etc. So I will just keep bending over.

johnj - you and I are in the same club, or should I say, I was. I had constant stricture issues post surgery, which were made worse post salvage radiation. I had 6 operations for the strictures, but in some cases, my bladder neck was closed 100% again in as little as 30 days. I spent a total of 1 1/2 years on 21 different catheters, including 51 weeks straight with a Suprapubic catheter in place, it was a real nightmare at the time. It was considered fully chronic. In the end, due to extensive radiation damage, I underwent the Ileal conduit surgery, and had to have my bladder by-passed with a permanent stoma in place. No fun. The last time my surgeon tried to get through to my bladder to check for cancer, was a year ago June. He had to abort the surgery because the scarring was so excessive, and he could not safely enter my bladder for fear of extreme rectal wall damage. So I feel for you there.

Tony - you actually made me laugh, a hard act to do. I can do without any of those secret doctor handshakes myself. lol.

david