Prostate surgery consists of the restricted or total removal of the prostate as a treatment of an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer in men. It is also known as prostatectomy in medical terms and it is an intensive form of treatment.
Prostatectomy is performed to eliminate the conditions that damage the prostate or to maintain the ability to have healthy erections and perform urinary continence without pain but the exact results differ from one patient to another, based on the condition for which they are opting for the surgery and its severity.
Usually, when radical prostatectomy is performed, it is likely that the procedure damages the nerve bundles on one or both sides of the prostate which may make a man unable to have erections as long as the nerves don’t regenerate, which can take a considerable length of time.
If both the nerve bundles are removed in the process of radical prostatectomy, you will find that it is not easy or possible for you to have penile erections without the use of any medication or treatment.
But if the nerve bundles have only suffered slight damage, there is a high possibility that they will regenerate, albeit taking a long span of time for the regeneration process.
Introduction to Nerve Regeneration of the Nerve Bundles Damaged During Radical Prostatectomy:
A man may desire to have healthy erections after the successful completion of his radical prostate surgery, but that often cannot happen immediately, due to the damage to the nerves which are involved in the process of having healthy erections.
There are three main sets of nerves that are vital for the act of making love and deriving pleasure from it for a man, and they are nerves that induce an erection, nerves that have control over the penile sensation, and nerves that lead to the feeling of climax or orgasm for men.
Even if only one of these nerves has been damaged, a man will experience that his sexual experience is not as pleasure-inducing as it was in the past, and thus nerve regeneration becomes vital for enjoying a healthy sexual life.
What Nerves are Damaged during Prostatectomy and how to Figure them out on your own?
We discussed the three sets of nerves that take part in the act of making love for men, and there is a possibility that all three of them are damaged during radical prostate surgery.
But about 80% of men who have had successful prostate surgeries report that their orgasms are as good as they have been in the past after the surgery, indicating that the nerves that are engaged in bringing about orgasms are usually not damaged during the radical prostatectomy.
Most men are able to feel sexual stimulation on their penile shaft even after the surgery, indicating that the nerves around their penile shaft are good enough.
But most men suffer from damage to the nerves that are involved in the process of bringing about penile erections in men, implying that, usually they are the set of nerves that suffer damage during radical prostate surgery.
This is also one of the reasons that men often suffer from erectile dysfunction as a side-effect after undergoing radical prostate surgery for treatment of prostate cancer or other prostate-related conditions. A man may be able to tell which of the nerve set has suffered damage during the prostate surgery he underwent by observing the orgasms, erections, and physical arousal experienced on the penile shaft, and he may even discuss them with his doctor for a more accurate diagnosis.
How long does it take for Nerves to Regenerate after Prostate Surgery or Radical Prostatectomy?
The duration required for the regeneration of the damaged nerves during the portate surgery will differ from one man to another as many varied factors come to play a role in it such as age, the severity of the symptoms, and the physical health of the person.
But observation has shown that younger men experience quicker nerve regeneration as compared to older men, after the nerve surgery. Some younger men experience almost immediate regeneration in the nerves, especially if the damage done to the set of nerves during the surgery is minimal.
Usually, a person may have to use medical aids to have normal erectile function for about 12 months, after which he may be able to have erections normally, but the process of regeneration can take about 3 years to reach the required state of healthy nerves set around your prostate.
This seems like a long time, but the regeneration happens gradually and you will see improvement in your erectile functions along with the regeneration of the nerve set in the body.
How to Speed up Nerve Regeneration after Prostate Surgery or to Aid the Regeneration after the Radical Prostatectomy is complete?
Yes, of course, there are various things that a person can do to aid the nerve regeneration after their prostate surgery is successfully completed, but we recommend that you first obtain express permission from your doctor to try them.
Your doctor will also warn you about the potential risks associated with the particular things that you may want to use to aid the nerve regeneration process after your surgery.
How to Speed up Nerve Regeneration after Prostate Surgery with the help of oral medications?
Many experts recommend physical stimulation for the penile shaft for giving a boost to the speed regeneration process in your body, but there are tablets that can also help in the process.
The oral pills that are generally used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men also serve as an aid for speeding up the regeneration of the nerve cells damaged during prostate surgery. The PDE5 inhibiting drugs especially help as they aid blood circulation in the body which is good for healthy erectile functions as well as nerve regeneration after radical prostate surgery.
But these medicines are not indispensable, it may take time, but a person will experience gradual regeneration of their nerves naturally as well.
