Complications of radical prostatectomy

Definition

The prostate is male reproductive gland, responsible for producing the fluid carrying sperm during ejaculation. Prostate surrounds organ called urethra, trough witch urine passes out of the body and in cases when prostate grows bigger, pressing it, and causing bladder and urination problems. Also in some other cases, prostate cancer may appear. In both of these cases surgery is sometimes needed.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy is a surgical procedure when prostate gland and surrounding tissue are removed. Surgeon makes the small incision in the retropubic area, which is located in the lower abdomen or behind pubic bone area.

Advantages of retropubic surgical technique are several; surgeon is able to feel and see better the nerves that are important for maintaining erection, and if they are free of cancer he does not have to cut them out and can be saved in nerve sparing procedure.Also surgeon is able to remove and cut out cancer affected tissue better and not leaving anything behind. And trough same incision surgeon can, if necessary remove both prostate and surrounding tissue and lymph nodes at once.

Complications and risks of retropubic prostatectomy

There is a possibility of some post operative complications in those procedures and some of them may be;

possible damage to ureters or rectum, although this is a relatively rare case, and can be fix during same surgical procedurerisk of excessive bleeding, which is a most common surgical complication as a result of injured blood vessel during surgical procedureblood clots, as a result of sluggish blood flows from the leg. It is also a rare complication and it can be fixed with surgical compression stocking, and early walking after the surgerycontracture of bladder neck, as a result of scar tissue narrowing the bladder neck and causing dribble in the urinary stream. This is a rare complication and it happens in less that 3% of the patients and it can be cured with cystoscopic surgerydeath during the surgical procedure is always a risk with any surgical procedure which involves anesthesia but this rarely occurs in retropubic prostatectomy procedures

Post operative care

There are several things that hospital staff will do for you in order to ensure your efficient and speedy recovery. One of those things is to encourage you to sit in upright position or walk around almost right after the surgery, in order to prevent blood clots. Other may be, in order to prevent rectum strain and constipation, that you will be given some laxatives or stool softeners for a several days after the surgery.

The may also drain your area of operation for excess fluids, like blood and urine, and catheter will be left in your urethra for couple of weeks which will allow the body to restore urine flow.

When you are released to home care then take care of your catheter and, if in pain use some pain relief and recovery medicaments, like antibiotics.