Rectal cancer surgery. How to preserve sexual function and urinary bladder function. 3

Preserving sexual function after rectal cancer surgery is very important. Urinary bladder function preservation is also important in rectal cancer treatment. Rectal cancer operation to preserve sexual and urinary bladder function. Rectal Cancer treatment for men can have possible sexual side effects of surgery. It is important to choose the best surgeon who can minimize pelvic nerve damage during operation.

Rectal cancer operation to preserve sexual and urinary bladder function. 3. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. For rectal cancer surgical treatment, total mesorectal excision technique has become the gold standard of surgical therapy for rectal cancer. Rectal cancer surgery and overall treatment is focused on the patient’s survival and cure. But quality of life after rectal surgery is also very important. Male sexual health after rectal cancer surgical treatment can be good. Urinary incontinence is an often unrecognized rectal cancer treatment risk. It can be reduced by correct surgical method to remove rectal cancer tumor. Colorectal cancer and urinary incontinence are not inevitable consequences of rectal cancer surgical treatment if surgery is done correctly. Rectal cancer second opinion helps to find best treatment options. And problems with urinary function and sexual function used to be accepted as normal, previously. But you studied extensively surgical techniques that preserve urinary function and sexual function. So that most rectal cancer patients can retain sexual and urinary function after rectal cancer surgery. What is the progress in preservation of urinary function and sexual function after rectal cancer surgery? What are the best options for patients to keep urinary and sexual function after surgery for rectal cancer? And do so without loss of curative potential for rectal cancer treatment. Dr. Christoph Maurer, MD. Yes, indeed. Surgeons have learned to preserve the autonomic pelvic nerves. Autonomic pelvic nerves are very close to the mesorectal fascia. This dissection plane is the holy plane in rectal cancer tumor surgery. We have learned to identify this tiny mesorectal fascia. Then we are able to preserve the pelvic nerves. They are just in the neighborhood of the mesorectum. If we stay close to the mesorectal fascia during rectal cancer surgery, we can preserve the pelvic autonomous nerves. This preserves sexual and urinary function. And this is crucial for the patients. Because before adopting this technique almost every male patient was completely impotent after surgery. Also, women were impotent with no libido. And also the bladder function was sometimes really bad. People could not empty their urinary bladder because their bladder was denervated. So, this problem of bladder denervation today has completely gone. Because we can preserve the nerves. Because we knowing the exact surgical anatomy. This is the best rectal cancer surgical treatment method. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. So, it’s very important that the colorectal surgeon knows the exact anatomy around rectum. Surgeon must know the latest surgical techniques. So that surgeon can make sure that the autonomic nerves are preserved during the surgery. Dr. Christoph Maurer, MD. Exactly, exactly. Nowadays we have also the tools. We have precise cautery. Some surgeons even use water-jet dissection. So they can stay within the correct anatomical plane. So we have also better instruments and better tools. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. So, better tools and more modern tools help the better surgical education. Together they create a better experience for patients with rectal cancer after surgery. Dr. Christoph Maurer, MD. Correct.