Will I Experience Effects On Bowel Function After Prostate Surgery?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: Will I experience effects on bowel function after prostate surgery?

Answer: Following a prostate cancer surgery, men can sometimes have what's called an ileus, which is a few days of the bowel's being a little bit slow to recover. This is not severe. It is temporary, and not even all patients experience it, but so this limited effect called an ileus can occur in some men following surgery. There are no long term bowel function effects of prostate cancer surgery.