The best set of illustrations of RP I have ever seen anywhere are in Dr.
Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer.  Simple line drawings, but
the most informative.  Those drawings deserve an award.

jimhoney

Paul, I'm not going to detail everything because it is involved, but
there are sites that show the anatomy and even videos of entire
operations. But I think I understand what you are really asking so just
let me say that the comfortable positions it took 62 years for your
bladder, urethra, prostate, seminal vesicles, assorted viscera, vas
deferens, nerves, veins, and, yes, penis to get into have been
scrambled. The prostate that used to reside between your penis and
bladder is now gone and the surgeon just yanked your urethra (and the
internal penis attachment) up and sewed it to the bladder neck. It will
take some time for everything to get re-situated and, in the meantime,
you might feel things shifting around some when you change positions,
and just strange sensations "down there." Don't worry about it; it's
normal.

Bill Denton
RP 2/12/02
Memphis

P.S. Hey, look what day it is!

First go to http://www.phoenix5.org and go look at the pictures of where the
prostrate is located. It's located under the bladder above the scrotum and
very close to the rectum - that's why they can feel it with a DRE.

Don't read this if you are queasy about surgical things. I'm not a nurse but
I've had a few surgeries myself and many things are similar. So here's
pretty much what I know about a regular RP.

They make an incision - either a bikini incision which follows the natural
curve line under the tummy, slightly above the pubic bone. Or they make a
nice big one from the belly button down to the bone. If your incision isn't
exactly like one of those two don't worry about it. I think some docs just
have their own favorite places to open in order to reach the abdominal
cavity. Cutting the skin is easy, one sharp knife. Then the use a gizmo to
hold the incision open so they can get inside. There is a nice layer of
muscle which lays there like a tight bunch of ropes even if you aren't
physically fit it's still some tight stuff - if it wasn't your insides would
poke through (AKA hernia). So they have to pull that apart - they just find
a spot and tear it open. Now they can see the bladder and your intestines.
Intestines move around pretty easily so they just push them out of the way.
That bladder is a different story; they just, sort of, flip it out through
the hole they cut in your tummy and let it lie lay there on your tummy while
they work. The problem is they really can't get that whole bladder out very
well so they just do the best they can. Now they can see the prostate. With
nerve sparing they can use some fancy goggles to see better and I think they
can also use a stain to show the nerves. Ever see a vein in a piece of meat?
Well, the urethra etc. runs through the prostate much the same way as a
vein. So they cut the prostate out and when they do they also cut the
urethra. You lose about an inch maybe more or less depending on the size of
the prostate. They connect the two ends of the urethra.  (Part of the reason
something looks so short afterwards.) The prostate is almost glued to the
base of the bladder so they really have to work to get it out or at least as
much of it as possible. Removing the nerves they say is like trying to peel
wet toilet paper off the prostate without destroying the paper. The vas
deferens have to be re-attached to something so they drop them into bladder.
Once they have to prostate out with a few assorted other parts and have
everything re-attached. They also take a/few lymph nodes just to make sure
all is well. Then the stuff the bladder back in and drop a few quick
stitches here and there to hold the "guts" back in place and then they
stitch/staple the skin.

What you wind up with is a traumatized bladder and lots of internal
bruising. And often some external bruising too. They tend to rest their
elbows and knees on you during surgery - no, not really, just kidding! But
sometimes you can almost see a finger print bruise from where they worked on
you. The intestines were pushed around, the tummy muscles were
over-stretched, etc. Yes, you are going to be sore! Also no one is 25 years
old anymore and healing takes a wee bit more time. You've had more things
pulled and pushed around in there then you can imagine.

The body has a natural response to any injury, it sends in white blood cells
to pad and protect the injury and fight infection. That's why there is
swelling. And where does all this fluid go? Well, some of it drains into the
sac containing the family jewels which is also why many men complain of pain
and swelling. That's part of the reason they try to keep cold packs on you
after surgery. The cold restricts the blood vessels in the area and keeps
the swelling down. The smaller the blood vessels the less blood they can
pump into the area.

And that is the thimble version. LOL
Bev

in

but

Something else to ask your uro.  I travel by plane a great deal and am
therefore subjet to metal detectors and wonds etc. so I asked if there
was anything left inside after surgery.  He said there were a "lot of
stainless steel clamps and clips left in there".  I have not been
physiclly aware of them that I know of, and the meatla detectors have
not been any more bothersome than they were pre surgery