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Erectile Dysfunction post-surgery — is that a known complication?
About two/three weeks after surgery I am having erectile dysfunction, I had a mesh repair for a bi-lateral and umbilical procedure and my pain is getting better with Gabapentin. However, I’ve noticed my penis feels “detached” from my body and I can’t maintain an erection like I used to before surgery. Could it be a mesh reaction or nerve damage?
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5 Replies
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Dear LocalCivilian.
There are no major nerves near the umbilicus so it would be unlikely that mesh in that location would damage any nerves.
Regards.
Bill Brown MD -
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If it’s related to the operation, this is typically secondary to postoperative narcotics use and/or generalize pelvic pain and will resolve.
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Hello Dr. Brown, have you noticed any cases or studies about major nerves being entrapped as far as umbilical hernia mesh?
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The nerves that control erections should not be injured by an inguinal hernia repair. But the pain from the operation certainly can limit your enjoyment of sex. Occasionally the spermatic cord will become scarred to the mesh. That can cause pain during ejeculation.
Regards. Bill Brown MD -
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You are still very early in your healing process. Even after release to full activity, there will be “restructuring” of tissues, with shrinkage and pulling.
I had found though, after my bilateral mesh implantation, that after vigorous activities, I would get what I described as a “penile” dysfunction. It wasn’t just erectile, it was overall “behavior”, like it was dying. This would typically take 2-3 days to manifest, then sensation and response would return after 3-4 days. You might try taking an extended rest from physical activity, like running or biking, to see if things get back to normal. At least you’ll have a better idea of it’s actual damage from the surgery or a side-effect of more subtle damage from activities.
I kept a log of my activities, and still do, and I even had a name for it, the “two-day effect”. Keeping a log will allow you to see any correlations, that you might not catch using just your memory.
Good luck.
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