Sexual health without a prostate

The prostate is a gland that helps make some of the fluid in semen. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. Surgery is a common treatment to cure prostate cancer if it has not spread outside of the prostate gland. This procedure is called a prostatectomy. The surgery removes the entire prostate gland and some tissue around it.

After prostate surgery, a man may have trouble getting or keeping an erection. This is called erectile dysfunction (ED). Men can take nine months to a year to fully heal from the surgery. It may take even longer for some men to have full erections.

There are medications and devices that can help a man have a healthy sex life after prostate surgery. These include pills to treat ED. If the pills don’t work, your doctor may recommend an injection into the penis to cause an erection.

Another way to get an erection is with a penis pump. This device pulls blood into the penis. Another option is a penile implant, which uses silicone rods or inflatable devices to cause an erection.

Always talk to your doctor before using any medicine or device.