discharge planning
...y are going home with these things. Men’s lives are changed after a radical prostatectomy. They have to deal with many losses included loss of continence, potency and possible bowel incontinence. For some, these side effects last less than a year but for others could last the rest of their lives. For most, continence gradually improves and in about 66.7% of patients it is fully restored by 1-year post op (Bhayani, 2005). It could take up to 5 years though and in some it lasts for the rest of their life. This is a major change especially if the man was continent before the surgery. As far as recovery, potency works about the same as continence after a prostatectomy. During surgery, though, the doctor either was able to spare all or most of the nerves that help give a man an erection or not. This is a major indicator as to whether a man’s potency will return to normal or not and how long it will take. If the nerves were spared, potency usually returns within 3 to 6 months but could take up to 5 years or more. On Average, 54.3% of all patients reported having intercourse at 12 months. 78.9% of patients who experienced a nerve sparing prostatectomy reported having intercourse at 12 months (Bhayani, 2005). Men younger than 65 years of age have been known to have better recovery of continence and potency (Burkhard, 2004). The doctor will explain these risks to the patient before a prostatectomy is performed but the nurse should be there to answer the patient’s questions and concerns post op. Discharge planning should include ways for patients to deal with these issues. For example, pelvic floor exercises can increase strength and endurance of the pelvic floor musculature (Rigby, 2003). The nurses felt that current discharge planning was OK. They felt that it would be nice to include the continence and impotence problems as part of the planning. They currently don’t mention these problems in the planning. Impotence is hard to help discharge for but nurses can be there to answer questions...