What are the advantages and disadvantages of radical prostatectomy?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of radical prostatectomy?

Mark Vogel (Board Certified Urologist) gives expert video advice on: What is a 'radical prostatectomy'?; What are the advantages and disadvantages of radical prostatectomy?; What is the recovery time after radical prostatectomy? and more...

Advantages of a radical prostatectomy are to totally remove the prostate, adjacent structures and lymph nodes and try to completely eradicate the cancer from the body. If this can be accomplished then we feel the patient's cured. The disadvantages would include complications such as impotence or loss of sexual function, and incontinence and loss of urine.