What sort of rectal side effects can occur after seed implant therapy?
A. In general, there are very few rectal side effects that occur after prostate seed implants. However, sometimes side effects do occur. Once again, some side effects occur shortly after the implant while others may not occur until many months later. The most common side effects during the first few months after the implant are an increased urgency of bowel movements; slight burning sensation of the rectum during bowel movements (kind of like hemorrhoid type of discomfort); and, rarely, some leakage of brown mucous type material with the passage of rectal gas (flatus). The main long-term problem is formation of a painful rectal ulcer if an implant seed is placed too close to the rectal wall or even into the muscle of the rectal wall. Some patients will have rectal bleeding similar to that which occurs after external beam radiotherapy. Extremely rarely, there can be a formation of a track between the rectum and urethra (called a fistula) with leakage of urine from the rectum. Q.
In general, very few rectal side effects occur after prostate seed implants. However, sometimes side effects do occur. Some may occur shortly after the implant while others may not occur until many months later. The most common side effects during the first few months after the implant are an increased urgency of bowel movements; slight burning sensation of the rectum during bowel movements (kind of like hemorrhoid type of discomfort); and, rarely, some leakage of brown mucous type material with the passage of rectal gas. The main long-term problem is formation of a painful rectal ulcer if an implant seed is placed too close to the rectal wall or even into the muscle of the rectal wall. Some patients will have rectal bleeding similar to that which occurs after external beam radiotherapy. Extremely rarely, there can be a formation of a track between the rectum and urethra (called a fistula) with leakage of urine from the rectum.
