What is nerve-sparing surgery? And which patients are candidates?
The nerves are like railroad tracks with the prostate being like a boxcar on top of the tracks. In this surgery, doctors try to gently lift 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. 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. Once it s grown out into the nerves, it s not possible to spare the nerves.
