Considering the Risks: Prostatectomy and Its Possible Problems

Please Bookmark:

As with any major surgery there are certain risks people need to be aware of, and which need to be considered and talked about with your physician prior to undergoing the knife.

The patient is put under anesthesia and a relatively large incision is made in the lower abdomen or the area between the scrotum and the anus, the operation takes place in an area heavy with blood vessels, some patients undergoing a radical prostatectomy require blood transfusions. Each one of the aforementioned can be associated with sometimes serious complications.

Even the much less invasive laparoscopic version of the prostatectomy holds its own risks that can be very serious for the patient. In some instances, rare though they may be, people have died from complications associated with radical prostatectomy.

Risk factors can depend in part on each individual patient’s age and overall health as well as the experience, talent and competence of the surgeon and the support team.

The most serious complications associated with radical prostatectomy fortunately don’t occur very often but can include: heart attack, stroke and blood clots that can be carried to the lungs. These are risks that can be associated with any major surgery, but the percentages of occurrence are often so small as to not have much bearing on the patient’s decision whether to have the procedure or not.

Other serious risks include: infection at the sight of the incision, this can occur with any version of the procedure and though normally treated with relative ease, can become quite serious; and bleeding during or after the surgery. The prostate gland is surrounded by nerve bundles and many, many tiny blood vessels, the blood vessels can get damaged during the procedure and cause excessive bleeding while the surgeon is still operating or after the surgery has finished. This may require the patient to receive a blood transfusion or be subject to a subsequent surgery, potentially opening the door to further risks and complications.

Often when statistically considered, the potential for surgical complications and the risk and severity of side effects aren’t enough to outweigh the benefit of a successful surgery, but prostate cancer sufferers should fully discuss every option available to them and the risks involved with each with their physician so they can make an informed decision as to which avenue of treatment is best for them.