One of the biggest concerns those that have IBD deal with after abdominal surgery is how it’ll impact their potency. Women are concerned with conception and birthing, and what scarring may impact the organs. Men are concerned more about the chances for impotence, and erectile dysfunction or even being able to sire children.
Abdominal surgery for this condition has change da lot, with the biggest risk for men usually happening after they get a colostomy as well, especially to help treat rectal cancers.
Men who have ostomies to treat other conditions have a lower chance of experiencing it. While not totally researched, it is a concern for most people, and while the topic may be embarrassing, it’s good to talk to the doctor about this, especially if there is a chance that you may have erectile dysfunction as well.
When it Might Occur
While the risk is small, it’s still a risk. It’s about 2-4% likely in most cases.
There may be temporary impotence, with the reasons not making sense initially, but if you get a good prognosis beforehand, you can make sure to improve these chances.
This can cause some major bodily issues, and difficulty after surgery.
This does take time, and this may cause delays as well if you want to return to who you were before ethe surgery.
There are treatments for temporary importance, such as counseling, medication, and penile implants, but the treatment ultimately depends on what men need.
This varies from man to man, but it’s not something to sweep under the rug either, since if it ends up being serious, it can prove to be a problem for many men in a lot of cases, especially with their body image and other issues.
So what can you do?
Talk to your Doctor
It’s embarrassing to talk about this sort of thing with a healthcare provider, but if you learn to start talking to them, this can help you feel better.
Remember they’re a doctor, it’s not like they haven’t heard this before, and they may not even ask about this after ostomy surgery either, but it’s better to discuss this before you go under the knife.
What can you do to prompt the questions though?
A good way to do this is to write down in an email, or a text message all of the questions that you have regarding this, and then get them answered.
Having your partner come with you as well is good as well, since they can help you get the questions answered, helps with remembering everything after the fact, and it also can help you tackle this together.
But some men may get embarrassed by that, since a solo visit may offer better conversation about this sensitive topic.
Another way to make sure you’re not getting burned on the healthcare you need too as well is to ask for referrals.
Ask for someone who specializes in treating erectile dysfunction, risks for impotency, or sexual problems.
Remember as well that these people have gone through years of training, and if you are worried that you might be judged, remember these people deal with this a lot, so you’re not the only one who is suffering from these questions.
No matter the case though, know that this can be hard to talk about.
But the sooner the problem gets brought up and shed to light, the easier that it is, and the better it can help you with not only getting the treatment that you need, but also improve your personal enjoyment of sex as well, both now, and down the road too after the surgery occurs.
Ostomy Specialist 