What is nerve-sparing surgery and how does it work?
A. The nerves are like railroad tracks and the prostate is like a boxcar on top of the railroad tracks. In this surgery, doctors try to gently life the “box car” off the railroad tracks without damaging the “tracks”. If the cancer is detected early, then the prostate can sometimes be removed very nicely without disturbing the nerves. The nerves usually get bruised and stretched somewhat during the operation which is why it can take 3 to 6 months for erections to begin to return after surgery and up to two years for complete recovery, but with time the nerves regenerate so it’s very important to detect the cancer while still on the inside of the prostate before it grows out into those nerves. After it’s grown out into the nerves, it’s not safe to try to spare the nerves.
