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For some men, surgery seems like a good idea because they think it “gets the
cancer out.” While surgery -- technically known as radical prostatectomy --
often is an effective prostate cancer treatment, nearly half the time, surgery
leaves cancer cells behind.11 And many men, who choose this procedure
instead of seeding, often live with regret due to incontinence and impotence. If
you have a choice, look at the facts.
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FACT: Radical Prostatectomy Is an Effective Prostate Cancer Treatment.
Surgery can be effective in treating prostate cancer, yet there may be
complications that negatively impact a man’s quality of life.
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FACT: Surgery Results in a Higher Incidence of Incontinence than
Seeding.
In one study, approximately 10 percent of men experienced urinary incontinence
(lack of bladder control) following radical prostatectomy.5
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FACT: Surgery Results in a Higher Incidence of Impotence than Seeding.
According to another scientific study, up to 79.6 percent of patients may
experience impotence following radical prostatectomy.6
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FACT: Surgery Frequently Doesn’t Remove All Cancer Cells.
Forty-seven percent of men undergoing radical prostatectomy (surgery) had cancer cells
remaining in the body following surgery for localized prostate cancer.11
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FACT: It Takes Up to Eight Weeks to Recover from Surgery.
Surgery involves a one- to four-hour procedure, an average hospital stay of
three to five days and up to eight weeks of recovery. With brachytherapy, most
patients leave the hospital within hours and resume routine activities within
days.
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