The answer to my "mini-research project"
Oct. 28th, 2009 05:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
firefly124After finding nothing in any of the e-journal databases, I broached the subject with my med-surg clinical instructor, whose husband is a urologist. She actually pulled out her phone, got him on the line, and relayed my questions to him. Nutshell answer: no, I was both over- and under-thinking matters, and there are not additional sexual function issues for homosexual men with benign prostatic hypertrophy/hyperplasia, just the same ones straight men have.
The first question out of her mouth was, "Why would it make any difference?" followed by a litany of problems BPH causes for penile and ejaculatory function and which, obviously, would not be in any way affected by one's orientation, as who you prefer to use your penis with doesn't have any real impact on how well it does or doesn't work.
Which led to me trying to explain why I thought enlargement of a gland that is screened via rectal probing might result in painful impingement on the rectal space. That was a fun conversation to try and have as we're walking out of the hospital.
This would be when she pointed out the obvious: if a man's prostate were actually that large, a) we're probably not talking benign anymore, and so we're outside the realm of "normal aging" and into oncology, and b) the potential for a bowel impaction would be a much bigger concern, as that can fast become life-threatening, and yet she still didn't really think that prostate enlargement on its own was likely to cause this, as she's not heard of it happening. Just because it can be felt there doesn't mean it's going to impinge. She confirmed her take on it with her husband the urologist of some 20- to 30-odd years.
I confess to backing down from actually attempting to discuss whether changes in prostate sensation might also be an issue.
So yeah, over-thinking and under-thinking, all at the same time. *facepalm*
In other news, I had my OR rotation this week. Saw an arthroscopic shoulder repair, a mastectomy, a lumpectomy, and a subcutaneous port removal. No passing out and I only contaminated myself once, and that towards the end of the day. I may, however, go back to being vegetarian for a bit, at least until I can get the smell of the cautery out of my nose. *shudders* Also? Surgeons have way too much fun tormenting students. Next week, pedi, and then back for the last three weeks in med-surg.
The first question out of her mouth was, "Why would it make any difference?" followed by a litany of problems BPH causes for penile and ejaculatory function and which, obviously, would not be in any way affected by one's orientation, as who you prefer to use your penis with doesn't have any real impact on how well it does or doesn't work.
Which led to me trying to explain why I thought enlargement of a gland that is screened via rectal probing might result in painful impingement on the rectal space. That was a fun conversation to try and have as we're walking out of the hospital.
This would be when she pointed out the obvious: if a man's prostate were actually that large, a) we're probably not talking benign anymore, and so we're outside the realm of "normal aging" and into oncology, and b) the potential for a bowel impaction would be a much bigger concern, as that can fast become life-threatening, and yet she still didn't really think that prostate enlargement on its own was likely to cause this, as she's not heard of it happening. Just because it can be felt there doesn't mean it's going to impinge. She confirmed her take on it with her husband the urologist of some 20- to 30-odd years.
I confess to backing down from actually attempting to discuss whether changes in prostate sensation might also be an issue.
So yeah, over-thinking and under-thinking, all at the same time. *facepalm*
In other news, I had my OR rotation this week. Saw an arthroscopic shoulder repair, a mastectomy, a lumpectomy, and a subcutaneous port removal. No passing out and I only contaminated myself once, and that towards the end of the day. I may, however, go back to being vegetarian for a bit, at least until I can get the smell of the cautery out of my nose. *shudders* Also? Surgeons have way too much fun tormenting students. Next week, pedi, and then back for the last three weeks in med-surg.
