Sometimes it’s necessary to have a prostatectomy to remove parts of an affected prostate gland, such as in instances of a tumor or cancer. The prostate gland is the size of a small ball that is situated deep inside the male groin and plays a vital role in sexual and urinary function. When this becomes cancerous or develops other problems, a prostatectomy is performed to treat the condition.
While prostatectomies can be highly effective for high-risk cancer patients, sometimes vital nerves related to normal erectile function are compromised as a result. If left uncorrected, patients can experience erectile dysfunction after prostatectomy.
Fortunately, nerves that are connected to erectile function can now be repaired using nerve grafting in a procedure known as prostate reconstruction surgery.
Both surgeries can be completed simultaneously. A prostate reconstruction surgery after a prostatectomy only adds about 30 minutes to the total procedure time. Typically, the surgeon will use an autograft (a piece of nerve from another body part in your own body, such as the calf muscle) to reconstruct damaged prostate nerves.