May 25 2009
Erectile Dysfunction following Surgery: Use it - or lose it!
Following radical prostatectomy it is common for men to experience erectile dysfunction. This has always been an assumed side effect of nerve damage resulting from surgery. In can take as long as two years for some men to recover the ability to have an erection with the need for aids. Some men never fully recover.
In the time it takes for a man to recover his erection, other damage can take place. The Harvard Medical School bulletin notes that when the penis is flaccid for long periods of time, it is deprived of a lot of oxygen-rich blood. Low oxygen levels can negatively affect penile tissue which takes on the quality of scar tissue. In turn, the penis cannot respond when blood tries to expand the penile tissue, and an erection cannot be achieved.
Men are usually advised that an erection will eventually return in time. However, the knowledge of what can happen during a lengthy dormant period has raised questions over whether the advice needs to be changed. According to Dr. Marc Garnick, editor in chief of Perspectives on Prostate Disease and a Harvard oncologist, “Although the evidence supporting this ‘penile rehabilitation’ isn’t perfect, you may want to ask your doctor about the options. Such early intervention may help increase the odds that you will regain erectile function.” Put another way, men should use it, or lose it. Researchers now suggest using aids such as vacuum pumps, or pills like Viagra, to achieve an erection as soon as possible after surgery.
