In 2010 the National Cancer Institute states there will be an estimated 217,000 new cases of and 32,000 deaths from prostate cancer. Treatment for this type of cancer includes removal of the prostate. Radical prostatectomy is done either through an incision in the abdominal wall, called a retropubic radical prostectomy, or through an incision made in the perineal area, called a perineal radical prostatectomy. Both of these surgeries can have serious complications.
Impotence
In a national Medicare survey, 60 percent of men were unable to have erections sufficient for intercourse after radical prostatectomy. According to Standford Medicine Cancer Center, most men who undergo prostatectomy are unable to achieve an erection immediately following surgery. However, they note that eventually 40 to 60 percent of men are able to achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse. The size of the tumor, stage of the cancer and the man's age also affect the ability to achieve an erection after surgery. All men who have prostatectomies should expect some erectile dysfunction.
Incontinence
Incontinence is the inability to control the leakage of urine. Some patients have frank leakage; others have problems with dribbling after surgery. Standford Medicine states that normal control returns within several weeks or months of surgery for many patients. The National Cancer Institute reports that approximately 6 percent of men require the use of pads for urinary incontinence, but the proportion of men with occasional dribbling was unknown. In the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study, 15.4 percent of men had frequent urinary incontinence or no urinary control even five years after surgery.
Fecal Incontinence
Fecal incontinence is the inability to control the leakage of stool from the rectum. In a national survey, 32 percent of men who underwent a nerve sparing radical prostatectomy, and 17 percent of men who underwent a retropubic radical prostatectomy, reported fecal incontinence. Ten percent of men reported moderate leakage and 4 percent reported large amounts of fecal leakage, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Other Complications
Other complications specific to prostatectomy include urethral stricture, which could make urinating difficult, and injury to the rectum. The usual complications associated with any surgery might also occur, including bleeding, reaction to anesthesia and infection.
