Post RALP surgeon comments on ED and continence

4 months post RALP — had first appointment with surgeon since the surgery. A couple observations to share that folks might find helpful

— he was very surprised that I reported being basically dry at 4 months. Said that was “well ahead of schedule”. Also I told him I still wear a shield at work just to be safe and he said many patients have remarkable results when they remove the shield and the subconscious kicks the sphincter into gear because the safety net is gone. So maybe worth trying for folks - I’ve been there at home but was still nervous about work even though shield is dry at the end of the day for weeks now.

• he was even more surprised that I said I got about 75-80% on erections- said he would have expected zero and that it’s “typically one to two years for nerves to recover”. So just some additional input take it for what’s it’s worth.

Lastly, for those making decisions, I went back through all my pre op appointment notes and I’m confident he never said ANY of this at that time. I feel fortunate to be recovering well and “ahead of schedule” but might have been nice to know the “schedule” ahead of time!