So, like, cancer surgery can totally mess with your ability to get it up, you know? There are different types of cancer surgeries that can affect your erections, man. Here are a few examples:
– Radical prostatectomy: This surgery involves removing the prostate and some surrounding tissue, including the seminal vesicles. Sometimes they also take out nearby lymph nodes. This one’s for prostate cancer, dudes.
– Radical cystectomy: They remove the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and nearby lymph nodes. Since the bladder is out, you gotta find a new way to pee, either through a bag on your belly or by making a new “bladder” inside your body. This surgery is for bladder cancer.
– Abdominoperineal (AP) resection: They take out the lower colon, rectum, and anus. This surgery might require a colostomy, where you have an opening in your belly for poop to leave your body. This one’s for colorectal cancer.
– Total mesorectal excision (TME): They remove the rectum and nearby lymph nodes, then connect the colon to the anus so poop can pass normally. This surgery is for rectal cancer.
– Total pelvic exenteration: This is when they remove the rectum and other nearby organs that the cancer has spread to, like the bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles. You might need new openings for pee and poop to leave your body after this surgery. It’s for a big tumor in the colon.
So, yeah, most guys who go through these surgeries might have some trouble getting erections afterward. It’s because these surgeries can mess with the nerves needed for an erection. Some dudes might still be able to get erections, but they might not be as strong as before. Others might not be able to get it up at all.
If you’re facing one of these surgeries, make sure to chat with your cancer care team before going under the knife. Ask them how the surgery could mess with your erections and what you can do about it.
The main reason why guys have trouble with erections after cancer surgery is because the nerves needed for an erection get messed up or taken out during the operation. These nerves are hanging out next to the rectum and around the prostate gland, so it’s easy for them to get damaged during surgery, ya know?
Now, if the tumor isn’t messing with the nerves too much, surgeons try to avoid them during surgery. They use “nerve-sparing” methods whenever possible in surgeries like radical prostatectomy, radical cystectomy, AP resection, and TME. Guys who have nerve-sparing surgery are more likely to get their erections back than guys who don’t.
Even with nerve-sparing surgery, it can take some time to get your erections back. The nerves might get injured during the operation and need time to heal before erections come back. It could take up to 2 years, man.
It’s not really clear why some guys get their erections back fully after surgery while others don’t. But if the nerves on both sides of the prostate are spared, guys have a better shot at regaining their erections.
There are other things that can mess with your erections after surgery, like:
– How old you are: Younger guys are more likely to get their erections back after surgery.
– How strong your erections were before surgery: Guys with strong erections before cancer surgery are more likely to recover them afterward.
– Other health issues: If you have other health problems that can affect erections, like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, low testosterone, depression, smoking, or certain meds, you might have a harder time getting your erections back.
So, like, radiation therapy to the pelvis can also mess with your erections if you’re getting treated for prostate, bladder, colon, or rectal cancer. The radiation can damage the nerves and blood vessels you need for erections, making it harder to get it up.
Radiation can cause problems with erections more slowly than surgery does. Erection issues usually start about 6 months to 2 years after radiation ends. Some guys might still be able to get erections but lose them before reaching orgasm, while others might not get firm erections at all.
Erection problems from radiation aren’t always permanent, though. They might get better after 2-3 years. The higher the dose of radiation and the bigger the area treated, the more likely you are to have erection problems later on.
If you’re getting radiation to your pelvis, make sure to talk to your radiation team about how it might affect your arteries and nerves, so you know what to expect.
Age can also play a role in how radiation affects your erections. The older you are, the more likely you are to have trouble with erections after radiation. Damaged blood vessels from heart disease, diabetes, or smoking can also up your risk of erection problems.
So, yeah, cancer treatments like hormone therapy, chemo, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy can also mess with your erections. These treatments can lower your testosterone levels, leading to a drop in sex drive and erection problems. But don’t worry, your testosterone levels should bounce back after treatment ends. And if you’re having trouble getting it up, there are treatments that can help you out, bro.
Before you get a stem cell transplant, you might have to deal with high doses of chemo and radiation, which can lower your testosterone levels and cause erection problems. Graft-versus-host disease from the transplant can also lead to long-lasting testosterone loss, so you might need testosterone replacement to get your mojo back.
Cancer and its treatments can mess with your emotions, energy levels, and self-esteem, which can also affect your erections. Feeling fatigued, in pain, or anxious can make it harder to get in the mood for intimacy. If these feelings are messing with your erections, consider talking to a therapist who specializes in helping cancer patients deal with sexual issues.
So, yeah, if you’re having trouble with erections after cancer treatment, there are plenty of options to help you out. You might need to try a few different treatments to find what works best for you. And remember, it’s totally normal to feel disappointed or frustrated about erection problems, but there are ways to cope and get back to feeling like yourself again.
