Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

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silentC
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Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:38 pm

This is something I'm pondering for my dad. A couple of years ago he had his prostate removed. He came back pretty well and was cycling three or four times a week. However he was having problems with leakage and it got bad enough that he decided to have an op done to install a gadget which blocks off the wee tube until he squeezes a bulb that now resides in his scrotum which unleashes the flood.

Since then he is not wanting to get on the bike because he is worried that the sitting position will interfere with the device. He rode once and had some leakage, which he's not sure was caused by the seat, or by the exertion or what. His doctor basically said that he should be ok to cycle but that he can't guarantee that it won't cause him problems later. We tried a seat with a cut away but he still wasn't confident about it.

Anyway, this is a shame. He's 72 and quite fit and he was enjoying the cycling. So I was trying to think of a way of getting him back on the bike. One idea I had was a recumbent. I know nothing about them but he uses a rowing machine, so if there's any similarity at all in the sitting position, then that might be an option.

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas.
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Dirty32
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby Dirty32 » Thu Oct 23, 2014 11:32 pm

Thats a shame... Poor bloke.

Perhaps I am clutching at straws here, but what about one of those Tri / TT bike style saddles that are kinda stubby and dont really have a nose on them? It would appear that the back part of the saddle still takes your weight / sitbones and arse, but without the nose, you might get away from applying all that much pressure on the scrotum... Perhaps not, but I guess any potential option is worth considering.

All the best to him. Hope he finds a solution!

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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby sogood » Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:56 am

Possible solutions. 1) Uridome + bag. 2) Urinary pad.
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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:25 am

Thanks I'll check out those saddles.

The issue isn't so much the leakage as his concern that it might be doing damage internally. It's getting a bit into the gory detail to explain, but basically because he had to have radiation therapy, his wee tube is not as strong as it otherwise would be and so there's a risk that he might erode it which would be very bad for him.

I thought maybe the seat on a recumbent might be more 'laid back'. I guess I should have a look at them, I know there are all different styles. A bloke up the road has one so I'll check that out.
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby sogood » Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:32 am

YMMV but after radiotherapy, there's possibly some scaring but hardly weakness. If there's a stricture, then it would be worth conferring with his urologist in terms of location and nature, otherwise they are stronger than you think.
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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:57 am

What he had fitted was an artificial sphincter which is operated by the bulb. He told me that due to the radiation treatment, the surgeon put extra bandaging around the urethra to prevent erosion from operation of the sphincter. Dad's concern is that pressure in that area could reduce the life of the bandaging and end up causing him problems later on.

He asked specifically about cycling and was told that it 'should' be OK but that there was a chance it could cause problems. It's a bit hard getting the detail second hand, so I'm not sure if it's something he really needs to worry about, or if he's being overly cautious. After we put the cut away seat on the bike, he said it felt better but still not right and he's not ridden the bike since.
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby sogood » Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:21 am

Bandages don't get left behind in an operation. What the urologist did was to maximise the coverage of the artificial sphincter by length to reduce point pressure on the urethra. Not real bandage. Saddle with a central cut out makes sense but at the end of the day, if he doesn't feel right, then he doesn't feel right. Not an issue that can be pushed. Recumbent may be an option but that's a separate outlay.
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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:39 am

'Bandage' was the term he used, I have no idea what it actually was. As I say, hard to be sure when based on second hand info and he probably didn't fully understand what was being said. He has to go for a follow up so I'll get him to ask about it again.
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Jesmol
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby Jesmol » Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:23 pm

Look at an ISM Adamo saddle, when you sit on them correctly your scrotum isn't even touching the saddle.

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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:09 pm

OK cool, I'll show him one. Wouldn't like to be riding one of them au natural though, could be nasty...
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby ValleyForge » Sat Oct 25, 2014 11:30 pm

sogood wrote:Bandages don't get left behind in an operation. What the urologist did was to maximise the coverage of the artificial sphincter by length to reduce point pressure on the urethra. Not real bandage. Saddle with a central cut out makes sense but at the end of the day, if he doesn't feel right, then he doesn't feel right. Not an issue that can be pushed. Recumbent may be an option but that's a separate outlay.
Anatomically, the cuff should be well away from any local pressure effect. Leakage is most likely to be from abdominal compression, rather than any perineal pressure. Unless he sits on the actuator.
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby Jesmol » Sun Oct 26, 2014 10:52 am

silentC wrote:OK cool, I'll show him one. Wouldn't like to be riding one of them au natural though, could be nasty...
you can get trial ones, they are quite different to setup, and can vary from nutsack nirvana to scrotum hell in just a couple of degrees

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Bartek
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby Bartek » Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:51 pm

You could post in the recumbent section for opinions, maybe someone has a similar problem! A lot of people seem to move to recumbents through injury or illness (back injury for me) but all that I have spoken to wish they had changed sooner, prior to injury etc.

Edit: forgot the most important part; I don't have the same issues, but have two recumbents and believe that the seats would not cause the same problems. In fact have read somewhere that there is a link between 'normal' bicycle seats and prostrate issues, the recommendation was to change to recumbents as they don't cause the same medical problems.
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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Mon Oct 27, 2014 11:35 am

OK thanks for the info. I'll have a chat to him and see if it's something he'd be interested in and re post in the 'bent section if he's keen.
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silentC
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby silentC » Mon Oct 27, 2014 4:06 pm

Thanks Oxford, they look like they might be very likely candidates for him. I'll show him some photos of them and see what he thinks.
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eveready2
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Re: Cycling options for a person post-prostate operation

Postby eveready2 » Fri Jan 09, 2015 7:42 pm

My dad had his prostate removed too. It took a while for him to gain the confidence back to ride again. Dad still uses a pad and doesn't go on big rides. He did swap his road bike for a mountain bike for a while just because it was more comfortable for him. Best of luck, some of the best times I have is riding with my dad!
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