Implant first. Then This Prostate thing: Radiation or RP?

[Cigar56]

Had some long talks with the wife, and although she is the low sex drive person in this marriage she has given me a full thumbs up for getting a penile implant. I have been using injections (Trimix) for two years but still getting inconsistent results. I just haven't achieved the kind of success others here talk about. So I just decided to talk to the Mrs. about the implant and she encouraged me to proceed.

The other issue is that I have some cancer cells in my prostate. The tiny amount of cancerous cells in my prostate right now are non aggressive, but at some point I am sure this will be a bigger issue. I will see my prostate surgeon later this month. However, I have made this possibly odd choice of getting the penile implant first and then dealing with the prostate through either more active surveillance, radiation or removal.

Has anybody here had an implant and then had to deal with prostate cancer? If so, what did you do? Radiation? Surgery? Sometimes I think radiation is the way to go and then I think about surgery.

I appreciate any comments. I am contacting Dr. Dineen, in Daytona Beach, about implant surgery. I'm seeing my urologist and prostate surgeon later this month about the prostate cancer and next steps.

Lots going on.

[Anonymous3]

I remember reading something about the implant should be done after uraniary problems are fixed

It is recommended to wait a year going the other way
http://www.coloplastmenshealth.com/ask-a-physician/

If you could find one surgeon that could do both would be better.

I would be considered about infection of the implant

[Tybeeman]

At you age and only a 6 Gleason. I would do the implant. That is a slow growing cancer. You could live the rest of your life or do radiation in 10 years.Dr. Dineen is an excellent surgeon.

[LMCatman]

My cancer was aggressive and fairly advanced...... RP followed by 6 or 7 weeks of radiation..... Nearly 7 years cancer free.... Good luck!

[oldgoat]

I had my titan implant first and then about 2 years later had robotic prostate removal. Very happy with both outcomes. No loss of length after the prostate removal. No incontenace at about 3 months after prostate removal.

[TANGERINE]

I have an abnormal PSA, and I decided to get my implant first before dealing with the PSA (I have not even had a biopsy yet). I have given this lots of thought.

If you have a low grade Prostate Cancer (low gleason score) then it is true that the cancer probably will not kill you, and it is true that you might wonder if the treatment was worse than the disease. it is clear that you will not be able to ejaculate normally after being treated for prostate cancer.

Fortunately, Orgasm will be good, Feelings during penetration will be good. But semen sputtering out will not happen. Here is what I told my doctor: "Doc, I really want to have at least a couple years of great, normal ejaculatory sex with my implant before facing the complications of prostate cancer treatment"

Today, I still feel this way. I am in the "honeymoon period" of my implant (first year) and this is a year that has been truly wonderful with awesome sexual power. As TYBEEMAN states, you can get treatment in a number of years for prostate cancer.

(disclaimor: I only have a high PSA, and it is oscillating between 4 and 6, and I do not know whether I have Prostate Cancer. But I do know that I am quite happy that I got the implant first since I know that I "will always feel and perform like a man", no matter how things go with later prostate cancer treatment.

[Cigar56]

Hi guys, I started this thread back in 2017 and am obviously way overdue for an update. Maybe my journey will help someone else. Back in '17 I was battling ED and prostate cancer. Fortunately, my cancer was mild and I decided to enter "active surveillance."

The cancer never did get aggressive, and I never got around to trying to get insurance to pay for the implant. The feedback I was getting from my urologist was that the insurance company would likely find a reason to deny me. So I just let it go for a while. At any rate here's my update:

I finally decided to address the cancer first. I am about to complete the final few treatments of radiation and the doctor expects a total success. I chose Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). SBRT administers very high doses of radiation, using several beams of various intensities aimed at different angles to precisely target my prostate cancer. I got lucky in finding the right doctor. Debra Freeman, MD, a radiation oncologist from Naples, Fla., works out of Tampa, Fla. and helped discover SBRT. Thus, she is one of the leading experts in the world in this technology.

So far I have had two radiation treatments and just three more to go -- all to be completed in the next week as I write this. So far it has been great. All signs indicate a very positive outcome, so now I can start focusing on the implant again. I'll be 65 in 19 months and eligible for Medicare, so that's the game plan for becoming bionic. My wife has a low sex drive, but despite that she's given me the green light to proceed. Understandably, she was much more focused on having me get on with the prostate issue first.

Soon I'll start checking off the months on the calendar as I approach Medicare eligibility. Although I have not met him yet, I'm considering selecting Dr. Martin Dineen, in Daytona Beach, Fla., as my surgeon for the penile implant. He is highly regarded and his office is just an hour's drive or so from my home. I was initially focused on Dr. Eid in New York City, but we will see. It's always helpful to have your surgeon within easy driving distance.

At any rate, I'm glad to be back and active again on the board.