Unfortunately prostate cancer is still not widely discussed so while it´s the second most common cancers for men and 1 in 5 men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime, many people do not have someone close to them with whom they can discuss prostate cancer surgery and the recovery process. Here are some tips to help you get through the post surgery process.
Understand the tumour
The size and positioning of the tumour will affect how the surgeon enters the abdomen and removes the growth. Smaller tumours can often be burnt away with a laser that is inserted through a keyhole incision while larger growths will tend to need a large incision and the growth may then be cut and removed piece by piece. There tends to be a long recovery period when there is a large incision in the groin and there can be a lot more pain and swelling to contend with.
Plan for the swelling
With any surgery to the groin there tends to be a lot of swelling as there is a lot of small blood vessels in the area. The surgeon will usually issue you with anti inflammatories which will help to control the swelling but you will also need to rest the area and place regular ice packs on the groin to help control the swelling. In fact it can be very useful to have a bag of frozen peas which will easily settle into the area as well as gel pack which can be formed onto any sensitive areas. It's also sensible to take a couple of days off work and sports and rest up as much as possible.
Keep an eye on the discharge
While most prostate cancer surgery goes off without a hitch there can be complications. If you notice that the swelling is not going down and you have either pus and blood coming out externally or in urine or semen then it is a good idea to call your surgeon quickly for a checkup. This is not a normal side effect of surgery but a surgeon can quickly check if there is a complication if you do have either issue.
If you are wondering about how your recovery is likely to go it is a good idea to discuss the specifics of your prostate cancer removal with your surgeon as your overall health and the size and location of the tumour is likely to affect the overall recovery process.
Share18 September 2017
Thanks for visiting my health blog! My name's Caroline. A few years ago, I started to notice changes in my appearance. My hair was dull, my eyes were circled with dark rings, and my skin was looking like it used to when I was a teenager. When cosmetic treatments didn't fix things, I realised the problem wasn't on the outside of my body—it was on the inside! That's when I started researching how to keep myself healthy. To my surprise, improving my internal health really worked. A few years down the line, I feel and look better than ever, and I'm ready to share what I've learned with all of you.