Excision and Graft Surgery- Day 7 Post op

[Nordicz]

I have read through most of the historical threads and have noticed many people keep asking for how things are post-surgery.  In my case I had an excision and graft procedure.

Surgery Day- Surgery was approx. 4 hrs.  Dr. Trost said though it was a complicated correction he was very happy with the results. The biggest discomfort I felt was a sore throat from anesthesia and moderate discomfort urinating due to a catheter having been used. I did not experience any pain for the rest of the day. But did take the prescribed pain medication.

Day 1 Post Op- Largest amount of discomfort was urinating again and scrotal swelling. The swelling subsided well with using ice packs and the good ol' bag of frozen corn.  The formed nicely into the affected areas. I still took the prescribed pain medication but was feeling very little pain. Hurt to sit normal in a chair due to the swollen scrotum.

Day 2 Post Op- Did not take pain medications. Swelling of the scrotum was virtually gone yet scrotum looked like the color of an eggplant . No real pain or discomfort. Boredom biggest battle. Did a dressing change. That was a little uncomfortable due to a little tugging at the circumcision stitch area. Felt good but did not want to over due anything.

Day 3 Post Op- Did not take any morning or afternoon pain medications due to no real discomfort. Went to the local Lowe's to look at a project with my father in-law and found when I returned that I was starting to get uncomfortable in the penis area.  Took pain medication in afternoon and evening.  By this time the Penis Nerve block had worn off. I had good sensation in the head of the penis and some at the remainder of the penis.

Day 4 Post Op- Did not take any morning or afternoon pain medications and spent the afternoon at my daughter's dance recital. By the end of the recital and sitting in the chairs I was in moderate discomfort and took afternoon and evening pain medications. My knee started giving me problems due to an unrelated infection. Moderately uncomfortable the remainder of day.

Day 5 Post Op- Pretty uncomfortable used prescribed medication all day. Did very little other than rest and sit in the recliner. Penis is healing nicely. Swelling is starting to subside and bruising is starting to dissipate.

Day 6 Post Op- A much better day. Felt good until the later part of the day. Spent about 2 hrs on my feet at the airfield in the evening and needed ice and pain medications that night.

Day 7 Post Op- Feel better than yesterday. Penis is more sensitive all over. Not necessarily hurting but sensitive.

I have not experienced a nocturnal erection yet and don't expect to for a few days from everything I have read. At this time it is too hard to answer any questions on the appearance of the penis or how it feels, or if I had any loss of length. The Post op picks the Dr. showed me of the corrected penis looked good and pretty close to my old self. Too early to tell.

Z

[james1947]

Thanks and keep us updated

James

[Nordicz]

Day 8- I guess that nocturnal erection was to come earlier than expected. Had a morning erection that was almost full. It was painful to a moderate degree and it disappeared rather quickly. I think due to the initial discomfort I was feeling. I did have to take a gander at the penis and I did not notice any curvature. If present it is rather slight and not my concern. So it is straight and it can get erect to some degree. So far so good. I did feel the full penis and noticed that the area from the pubic bone going forward about 3cm seems to not be as elastic as before and I really think it is still healing from the surgery. Once the erection has disappeared I have not been experiencing any real discomfort to speak of.

Z

[Knight]

This is most excellent! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience in such detail. Wishing a quick and full recovery for you my friend!

Was your surgeon Dr. Landon Trost from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN?

[Caesar]

Thank you Nordicz, for sharing your experience. Good luck with the days to come.

Best wishes

[Nordicz]

Knight,

Yes my surgeon was Dr. Landon Trost. I am really pleased with him, good person, listens and I feel he gives an honest evaluation with good choices. I did have a second alternative to surgery and that was Xiaflex injections. But he was very upfront stating that he could not guarantee the treatment results due to my curvature being greater than 65 degrees. When asked what he would do he stated he was conservative in nature and may have given the injections a try and then opt for surgery pending results. That response was pretty consistent with information other people have expressed or what is available to read. I opted for surgery because I felt Xiaflex was a maybe for an outcome and then here I would be in the same situation. My wife is a nurse and felt the same.  I met the criteria for a healthy penis and decided that this was my best course of action. I can't advocate for one choice or the other. It is a very personal choice and in my opinion. Once we start injecting, probing or reconstructing the penis the risks start to equal out. Nothing beats a healthy untouched penis. But not being able to have intercourse with my wife put me over the edge. I could deal with the discomfort and pain during the acute phase. Also I was not disturbed too much by the curvature and hour glassing that occured. But once I could no longer function in a normal capacity, I felt I needed to take corrective step for both of us.

Z

Z

[Knight]

This is all good news as I have heard good things about Dr. Trost and he was already at the top of my list for my next visit to The Mayo Clinic. I have already been told surgery may be my only option but was advised to wait a year before making the decision. My year is only half over but my condition is not improving and could be getting worse. I live in pain 24/7 and I don't know how much more ibuprofen my liver can handle.

I'm so happy for you and you are giving me hope that we have a local expert.

Can you tell me how much time away from work this has caused you to miss?

Will you please let me know the total cost of the procedure once you know? A good portion of this will be out of pocket for me.

God's speed brother!

[Nordicz]

Day 9

Best I have felt since surgery. Some swelling exists from the pubic bone going forward. It isn't uncomfortable or bothersome. I am still putting on a dressing each day. The post operative instructions were not very clear on how long it is necessary or recommended. One benefit is that it provides protection and padding around the circumcision stitch area which is still very sensitive to the touch. These are the only noticeable stitches I have. There is very little seeping onto the daily bandages if any. I had some yesterday which I think is part due to the erection and stretching that occurred that morning.

I did have another unsolicited erection this morning that woke me up. Once again pretty uncomfortable but it stuck around for 10 odd mins without any prompting. The penis looked nice and straight and pretty close to my old self.

Something I was unaware of was that I was given and have to wear a athletic supporter for 2 weeks following the surgery. I suggest wearing it on the outside of your underwear it is much more comfortable that way, especially since a person is wearing it 24/7.  As far as underwear goes the doctor recommended a tighter fit to help support the repaired penis. Such as athletic boxer briefs or compression type underwear. I also recommend that when visited by the unsolicited erection fairy that you take the supporter off until it subsides. Very, very painful otherwise.

I also did not expect to be off of work for the recommended two weeks. I suggest a person who undergoes this option that you take the two weeks. I would have been miserable every day except today even sitting at a desk.


Z

[yyy]

My urologist was against a graft procedure in my case, he said my erection could worsen till complete ED. What did he tell you about that? thanks

[Nordicz]

yyy,

My Urologist did warn me that an excision and graft procedure may have a long term risk of ED. He said due to my age and ultrasound results that it is a lower risk. His comments were anytime that the penis structure is disrupted there is a chance of ED.

When I evaluated all of those factors I still went ahead with the procedure for a couple of reasons. I could no longer have intercourse with my wife, Secondly if I did end up with a ED problem then I can still go ahead with an implant. None of these are great choices but considering that I would no longer be able to have intercourse with my wife I felt that was a larger problem than my penis.

I do not necessarily want to sound like an advocate for surgery and as others have advised this should be the last alternative employed in fighting the disease.  

Yet having come to grips that this is a form of treatment and not the end of the world I decided to make lemonade with lemons.

Z

[Nordicz]

Day 14

I haven't posted for a couple of days. The last few days have been good, with mild discomfort. The circumcision stitch line is healing nicely. I have still been putting on a dressing each day. This really helps to protect those stitches from rubbing against underwear and getting irritated. That whole region is ultra sensitive to the touch. I have sensitivity all throughout the whole penis. I still experience an occasional erection with moderate discomfort. The penis is relatively straight with a slight upward curve only a couple of degrees. Much less than my natural one before the disease.  To this point I am satisfied with the results. Time will still tell.

For those who may go through the procedure one thing I am surprised about is it is very uncomfortable to sit in a chair for any long duration. I returned to work at Day 13 and have an hr drive one way and work at a desk as an analyst. About every 45 minutes I have to get up and stand or walk around for a while due to my scrotum and penis aching. Nothing crazy as far as pain but disruptive. I did mow the lawn with a push mower no self propelled it is broken. I took me a lot longer and I am sore and tired but was still able to get it completed. I hope I did not overdue it. That right now would be a measure of the level of tolerable physical activity at day 14. I seem to feel better every day.

Z

[yyy]

we had the operation exactly the same day, today is day 15 for me but it was a plication and not a grafting.

I wanted to get grafting, in that way I could gain 2 cm back but the urologist was against this choice  .

I wish I could gain some length

[Nordicz]

yyy,

This is just my opinion but I would have preferred to not have had to get the excision and grafting done. I think it is a much more invasive procedure that has a greater risk. I really didn't have any length to give up yet I will not get back to my normal length due to the progression of the disease. That much is apparent to me . But my urologist did recommend the use of a good stretching device. He said it would help to a degree.

Z

[Knight]

I am glad you are progressing through this nicely Z. I found the "making lemonade out of lemons" comment just as wise as the "don't let pride prevent you from getting the help you need" remark you gave me about a week ago.

I'm a little concerned about the length of the recovery, but I'm not sure why I expect things to go faster. The fact that mowing after 2 weeks was difficult for you concerns me. It sounds like my very active life style will be going through a radical temporary change.

Your remarks about sitting long periods of time being an issue ring true with me even before surgery. My drive to work is also about an hour and it's one of the worst periods of discomfort for me every day.

I see Dr. Trost in 9 days and I wish it could be today. I am so ready to do something about this that I can't stand the wait now. They sent me a huge envelope yesterday that I haven't opened yet, but I'm sure it's information telling me what to expect and how to prep. I will go through that information as soon as I catch up on the board here this morning.

I hope you even better today than you were yesterday and I thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. You have given me the courage to do something I never thought I would be able to go through with. I am grateful.

[Nordicz]

Knight,

I hear you about it being tough to shut it down for a little while. Very, very tough to hold back. I felt good enough to do more but I have a history of overdoing it and hurting myself worse. So this time I'm going with the recommendations. I have ended up popping a stitch on the circumcision suture. I think it occurred during an nocturnal erection. It was not activity related.  A little uncomfortable for a day but it is healing nicely. My wife did not feel I should go in. I am in the middle of week 3 and feel good. I worked in the yard pretty hard yesterday for 3 1/2 hours and could really feel it. But after a couple of hrs of rest the wife and I were able to take the dogs for a good long walk. Everything is good.

I was pretty anxious to get through my appointment also. Wait till you decide on a treatment option, you'll really want to get to it and look forward to new beginnings.

For those wondering I am still doing daily dressings. This has been really beneficial in protecting the circumcision scar while it heals. I also have been using bactracin with the dressing to help healing. This routine seems to have helped in keeping everything clean and by removing any scab buildup or small seeping that has occurred. I am also using "THE DUKE" supporter. I was really getting sore without it. It is a big help when sitting or walking. Other than those couple of notes everything seems to be healing as planned.

I still have sensation in the whole penis. Though I am not prompting, there does not seem to be any indication of ED. If stimulated the penis reacts just as it always has.

Z

[Knight]

How's it going my friend? Is no news good news?

I get the ultra sound on Monday. Should I cancel?

Just kidding! But please let us know how you're doing if you have chance!

[Nordicz]

Knight,

No news is good news from me. I haven't been giving updates because everything is almost normal. On the beginning of week 3 I no longer used a bandage. The stitch region and head of the penis is still ultra sensitive. Loose underwear was intolerable with out the supporter. So I ditched the supporter and have been wearing my tightest underwear for the last 4 days. The sensitivity is decreasing everyday.

I still get woken up by the occasional evening erection. Still painful when confined. I am happy to report that my penis still responds to the normal stimulus such as touch, suggestive pictures, sexy scenes in movies ect...

Everything seems to be healing nice. I still have to be careful on overdoing activity. Lifting objects over 25 pounds is not good. Don't do it if you don't have to.

I'll be very interested to hear about your visit. Please keep me posted.

Z

[Knight]

Awesome news!

I'll be reporting back in a few days!

Keep up the good work and thank you!

[Knight]

How's it going my friend? Everything back to normal?

[Nordicz]

So I have been pretty quiet lately. I check in daily but don't have much to offer that others haven't already said. All has been going good. Tuesday is the 6 week mark for me so no more lifting or abstinence restrictions. Everything seems to work as normal. Erections no longer hurt. The ultra sensitivity in the head of the penis is almost gone. I do get a pinch here or there but nothing to really make note of. By luck of circumstances my wife and I have the house to ourselves and I feel good enough to give it a try. Though I won't be writing a harlequin romance novel for any of you. I'll let you know how it goes. I keep saying this but at this point I'm very satisfied with the results of my operation. There have been no surprises and considering the surgery performed I feel the results have been good. I hope all is well for you, and I look forward to you finding some positive outcomes to your situation. Then you can share the details.


Z

[Knight]

Awesome news my friend! I'm very happy for you. I'm still waiting to hear back from Dr. Trost, but that should happen any day now. Thanks for your support and for spreading hope! We need more of that in our lives!

[Nordicz]

Knight,

Don't be shy about contacting him yourself if you haven't heard from him. I had to do that for myself. Not a big deal really.

Sooooo I said I'd update how things have went following the lifting of restrictions. Momma and I had a chance last night to be intimate with each other for the first time in almost a year. My reconstructed penis reacted just like it always has I got an erection without effort and held an erection for about 30mins. Don't take this as a boast. I just want to state there were not any signs of an ED condition. We had intercourse and momma was able to hit her high notes-so to speak. I was not able to ejaculate due to a mix of the normal pleasurable feeling and slight pain in the area the incision was made. I am shorter after surgery than I once was. Not horribly so. But I had to adjust the normal stroke. I mentioned it to momma and she said she could not notice. That's good!

Sex feels different not in a bad way but different. For the first time I can notice where the graph was placed. I am sore today- sorta like an athletic sore -ache. I am not comfortable to go back to back nights and there is going to be some recovery time. LWillisjr and my doctor for warned me that this will more than likely be the case.

For me I am happy that we can have sex again and that I have full functionality of my penis again. It has been far too long and has been a nice confidence booster. I don't know how long the results may last but for now they are very positive. Long term I may have other issues due to the surgery but that is a mountain to climb on another day.

I need to thank LWillisjr for sharing his experience and providing a good account of what to expect. He told me it will be 6-9 months before things seem normal. My wife is floating around the house and I can work through the lingering affects of surgery.

FYI my urologist did not require me to do a two week or a six week follow up. He said that as long as I feel good and do not observe any abnormalities that it was not necessary. That did not imply he wouldn't do followups but he left that to me. Helping shave the costs of treatment.

For those who may consider this my costs for surgery were near $26,000. Almost $10,000 was Operating room costs and the various medications. We have good insurance so my out of pocket was less than $1,000. I know it is expensive but if I was in a different position insurance wise I know I would make the same decision.

Z

[james1947]

Nordicz

I am always happy to read posts like yours
Wish you continue with the improvements.

James

[Knight]

Congrats on your success and here's to your continued recovery! I firmly believe (no pun intended) that you are well on your way to reclaiming your sex life. You've been a huge help and inspiration for me personally. Please keep in touch!

Happy wife = Happy life!

You've got this!

Blessings!

Al

[LWillisjr]

LWillisjr and my doctor for warned me that this will more than likely be the case.

Nordicz,
Thanks for posting and sharing your story with all of us. I can relate for sure what you are experiencing. I also lost a little length and had to go through the same 'stroke adjustment' with my wife. Your story is personally rewarding to me as my surgery was exactly 6 years ago this week. The adjustment went very quickly for us. Now it all seems perfectly normal to us. My circumcision scar was tender for several months and sort of rigid if that makes sense. In a few more months it will all seem natural to you.

Les

[Knight]

I'm sorry if I have asked this before, but I don't think I have.

LWillisjr - How much time did you miss from work when you had your surgery?

[LWillisjr]

I had the surgery on a Thursday. It was in the morning as outpatient and I was back home that afternoon. I know of other patients of Doctor Levine who flew in, had the surgery and remained or preferred to stay in the hospital overnight.

I took Friday off from work, but was back to work the following Monday. So only took the 2 days off. But I have a desk job and mostly sit. But didn't have any other issues.

[Knight]

That's remarkable!

Thank you!

[Knight]

Checking in with my Minnesota connection! How are things going my friend? I'm assuming no news is very good news in this case.



I finally sent Dr. Trost a follow up question this morning and asked how his schedule looked for setting up another surgery. I was approved by my insurance company for Xiaflex injections but I'm thinking surgery makes more sense when considering the amount of damage Peyronies has already caused for me. If Dr. Trost agrees I plan on going under the knife here in the next couple of months. Your experience is invaluable to me right now.

Hoping you are doing very well!

[Nordicz]

Hey Knight,

It has been a few weeks since I have checked in. Things are good. Surprising to me I still seem to be recovering to some degree. Everything functions as it is supposed to.  Yay team!! I don't have the same scratch a bedpost erection I once had or a wind whistling across it reaction but everything is functional. I still have an occasional ache or pain some itching on occasion. Sort of go back to LWillisjr's comment that it will still take a few months. I am very glad to hear you have options. I will not recommend one or the other just because it is such a big individual decision but after our conversation I am of the opinion you are on the right track. My only concern for you if Xiaflex is your decision is the complexity of what your trying to correct and the duration it has been affected. I know I just didn't want to have two interventions. I really feel Dr. Trost did an excellent job and is the right person for correction. He wasn't as available after my surgery as I thought he would be but I did not have complications and he did say follow-ups were optional. He just never got back to me on one of my emails regarding work.

If surgery is your direction one thing I will caution is to be a good boy and follow the recommendations for rest. I did end up pulling a couple of stitches and it did affect my recovery. I didn't get back in the saddle but I did get active and work a little too soon. So be careful.  All in all I feel good about the outcome and do not regret my decision or who I decided to work with on the correction. Please feel free to email, PM or call me if you have any questions or concerns.

Z

[Knight]

Very good to hear from you Z! I'm very glad things are progressing nicely for you. They would like to schedule me for the end of this month but I may post pone things for another 6 weeks or so beyond that just to get through some other things I have on the schedule. At some point I will just have to bite the bullet and schedule it but I'm so busy with so many things right now I'm afraid I won't really have time to recover properly. My job is primarily a desk job so I hoping I will only need a few days home and then extremely light duty for a couple of weeks. Staying home for 2 weeks seems impossible right now. I know it's what you did I just don't see how that will be possible.

Do you know what you were doing when you popped the stitch? Could it have been a nocturnal erection?

Dr. Trost does seem a bit aloof, but I suppose many doctors in his position are? I mean now thinking back on it he never even was in the room through the entire physical examination and ultra sound. He has never physically examined me, he had his assistants do everything. He then collected all the data and met with me afterward. I'm not being negative about him, I did like him, but I think I would handle the situation differently if I were the surgeon. But, I'm not and I really am in no position to judge him. In my opinion if he did good by you then that's pretty good evidence for me to go on.

It's late now but I will try calling you back in the next few days for a chat. I'm really glad to hear from you! Hang in there brother, keep getting better and keep in touch!

[Stepone]

I just had surgery on 9/4. I was so elated about how my penis looked when I saw my surgeon for the follow-up, I failed to ask many questions. I have tried several kinds of underwear, I noticed the tighter the fit, the less pain I feel as the day goes on. Every time I try to wear less tight fitting underwear, my penis starts aching and hurting. The head gets sensitive and hurts with every movement, so I am back to the tight ones.
Thanks for writing about all your experiences, I feel so much better and less concerned.
I had some concerns about the tight underwear thinking I might be hurting the healing process, but I guess that's not an issue?
Thanks again for sharing your experiences, your sharing helped me.