Can hernia surgery or a vasectomy cause impotence?

healthdirect's guides list erection problems as a risk of prostate surgery — not of a hernia repair or a vasectomy. Its guide to open inguinal hernia repair in men lists groin pain, a numb patch from damaged skin nerves, difficulty passing urine for a day or two, and damage to the blood supply of the testicle — "Your testicle on the same side as the procedure may shrink and not work" — but not erection problems (healthdirect — open inguinal hernia repair), and describes hernia surgery as "generally effective" with "a low risk of complications" (healthdirect — inguinal hernia). A vasectomy "doesn't change your libido (sex drive)" or your ability to reach orgasm, and does not affect your testosterone levels (healthdirect — vasectomy). If your erections change after either operation, see your GP: erection problems have many possible causes, physical and psychological (healthdirect). Can hernia surgery cause impotence? and can a vasectomy cause erectile dysfunction or impotence?

How often does prostate surgery cause erectile dysfunction?

Often: more than 3 in 4 men have trouble getting and keeping an erection after surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy for prostate cancer (healthdirect — prostate cancer). Healthy Male reports that 85% of men who have had prostate cancer have erectile dysfunction (Healthy Male). Removing the prostate (radical prostatectomy) lists "Problems having an erection" among its complications (healthdirect — laparoscopic radical prostatectomy), and an operation for an enlarged prostate can affect erections too: "Some people have problems getting an erection after having a TURP" (healthdirect — TURP). Australian Prescriber counts pelvic surgery such as radical prostatectomy, and radiation, among the risk factors for erectile dysfunction (Australian Prescriber). How common is erectile dysfunction after a prostatectomy, and how is it treated? and prostate cancer and impotence: causes, recovery and treatment.

Does Viagra work after prostate surgery?

It can, but after the prostate has been removed it works for fewer men than in any other group studied. In sildenafil's clinical studies, 43% of men who had had a radical prostatectomy reported better erections — the lowest figure of any group, against 59% to 84% in the others, and 61% after a TURP — while men after other pelvic surgery or radiotherapy were not well represented or were excluded (EMA — Viagra product information). Australian Prescriber warns that men with "a history of pelvic surgery may not respond" to ED tablets, and that a tablet should be taken as prescribed on five to six occasions before its effect is judged. Can Viagra be effective after prostate surgery or a biopsy for cancer? and how do you overcome erectile dysfunction after prostate surgery?

What if tablets don't work after prostate surgery?

Injections, a vacuum pump or, last, a penile implant. Penile injections of alprostadil tend to be used when tablets are not effective, and work within 10–15 minutes; a vacuum erection device can be an effective, low-cost option for any man with erectile dysfunction, "but more so for those with diabetes, spinal cord injury or after prostatectomy"; and a penile implant works "no matter the aetiology or severity" of the erectile dysfunction, even when every other treatment has failed — "However, it is irreversible" (Australian Prescriber). Penile implants and surgery for ED; every option side by side in how erectile dysfunction is treated.

Can you take Viagra before or after an operation?

Only as your surgeon and anaesthetist advise — so tell them you take it. Before surgery, tell your doctor about every medicine you take, because "You may need to stop taking some medicines before your surgery", and tell your anaesthetist too (healthdirect — preparing for surgery). The Viagra leaflet asks you to tell every doctor, dentist and pharmacist who treats you that you take it, and never to combine it with nitrates — medicines for angina and other heart conditions such as glyceryl trinitrate, which come as tablets, patches, sprays and injections (Viagra CMI). When you can use it again depends on the operation: after a TURP, for example, your doctor may tell you to avoid sex for several weeks (healthdirect — TURP). Can you take Viagra after surgery?, can you take ED medicines before surgery? and, if you go home with a urinary catheter, what to expect once the catheter comes out.

Does Viagra raise your PSA level?

Neither the Viagra nor the Cialis label mentions any effect on PSA. The PSA test is a blood test for a protein made by the prostate: "A high PSA might be a sign of prostate cancer or another condition", and "High PSA levels are not always caused by cancer" (healthdirect — prostate cancer). Where the labels do meet the prostate is the other way round: before tadalafil is started for an enlarged prostate, the doctor checks for prostate cancer, because the two conditions "may have the same symptoms" — "CIALIS does not treat prostate cancer" (EMA — Cialis product information). Does taking Viagra increase the PSA level?

Can Cialis or Viagra treat an enlarged prostate?

Cialis can — in Australia it is used for the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia as well as for erectile dysfunction; Viagra's leaflet lists erectile dysfunction as its only use. For an enlarged prostate Cialis is a 5 mg tablet once a day, and "It may take up to a week to notice an improvement and 1 month for a full effect on urinary symptoms" (Cialis CMI; Viagra CMI). Australian Prescriber adds that daily dosing "may also benefit men with erectile dysfunction who have benign prostatic hyperplasia as it can improve lower urinary tract symptoms". The two conditions meet in other ways: medicines for an enlarged prostate can cause "problems with libido, erections or ejaculation" (healthdirect — benign prostatic hypertrophy), and alpha-blockers, used for high blood pressure or prostate problems, interact with Viagra (Viagra CMI). Can Cialis help with an enlarged prostate?, can Viagra be used to treat an enlarged prostate or BPH?, how is an enlarged prostate linked to erectile dysfunction? and, for one alpha-blocker, can alfuzosin and sildenafil be taken together?

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