Surgery: pros & cons

Advantages

• Prostate removed
  
  
• Cancer potentially removed
  
  
• Long history of use
  
  
• Many centres of excellence
  
  
• Results easy to monitor with post-operative PSA tests
  
  
• Failures can be followed with radiation if necessary
  
  
• Outcomes relatively predictable

Disadvantages

• Risks associated with procedure:
  - Blood loss
  - Infection, leaks, fistulae etc.
  - Mortality
  
  
• Side effects of radical prostatectomy:
  - Risk of Impotence
  without nerve sparing (60-90%)
  with nerve sparing (30-50%)
  - Chance of any Incontinence (32%)
  - Chance of severe Incontincence (1-7%)
  - Risk of Urinary Stricture (4-20%)
  
  
• 1 - 3 month recovery period

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