Penile length shortening after radical prostatectomy: men's responses.
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common type of male-specific cancer in North American men, and many men choose radical prostatectomy (RP) to remove their cancer. Although penile length shortening (PLS) occurs in a reported 68% to 71% of men undergoing RP, little is known about it. In an electronic journal search, only 9 medical articles (with no nursing publications) were published between 1980 and 2007.


OBJECTIVE
To provide an account of patients' perceptions and responses to living with PLS after RP.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews and a grounded theory approach were used to discover the basic social processes regarding men's perceptions of a shortened penis and overall sense of self. A total of six men who underwent RP and consequently noticed PLS were recruited from a local PC support group for semi-structured interviews lasting between 40-60 min.


RESULTS
Based on subjects' own definitions of masculinity, no significant changes in the constructs of masculinity and overall self-image perception were reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Men undergoing RP may not be fully aware that PLS is a possible consequence related to treatment. In spite of this, subjects were not negatively affected by its occurrence.
Yu Ko
Wellam F
WF
wellamyuko@hotmail.com
Degner
Lesley F
LF
Hack
Thomas F
TF
Schroeder
Garry
G
D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000473:pathology*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012944:Social Support