If you are having robotic radical prostatectomy, you may be wondering what happens to the seminal vesicles that sit just behind your prostate. In most cases, your surgeon removes them at the same time as the prostate because cancer can sometimes spread into these glands. The seminal vesicles normally produce much of the fluid that makes up semen, so their removal also affects ejaculation and fertility after surgery.
Once removed, the seminal vesicles are examined along with the prostate. This helps your medical team determine whether cancer has extended beyond the prostate and establish the final pathological stage. After radical prostatectomy, you will no longer ejaculate semen or be able to father a child naturally through intercourse, although sperm production in the testicles can continue.
What Are the Seminal Vesicles?
Your seminal vesicles are two small glands behind your prostate and close to your bladder. They produce fluid that forms part of semen, while sperm are made in your testicles.
Because the seminal vesicles sit close to your prostate, prostate cancer can sometimes spread into them. This is why your surgeon usually removes them along with the prostate during radical prostatectomy and examines them as part of the surgical specimen.
Are the Seminal Vesicles Always Removed During Radical Prostatectomy?
Usually, yes. During a standard radical prostatectomy, your surgeon normally removes both seminal vesicles with your prostate to achieve appropriate cancer clearance.
In selected men with a very low risk of seminal-vesicle involvement, preserving the tips may sometimes be considered. Current European guidance states that complete removal should remain the default, with tip preservation reserved for carefully selected cases where the risk of involvement is low.
Why Are the Seminal Vesicles Removed With the Prostate?
Your seminal vesicles are usually removed with your prostate because cancer can sometimes spread into them. Their removal also helps your team assess the extent of your cancer.
- Cancer control: Removing the seminal vesicles helps avoid leaving potentially affected tissue behind.
- Close location: The seminal vesicles sit directly behind your prostate, where cancer can sometimes spread.
- Accurate staging: Examining them helps confirm whether your cancer has extended beyond the prostate.
- Treatment planning: The pathology results can help guide your follow-up and any further treatment.
Your surgeon will consider your MRI, biopsy and other findings when planning the operation. The removed tissue is then examined carefully by a pathologist.
What Happens to the Seminal Vesicles During Robotic Surgery?
During robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, your surgeon carefully separates the seminal vesicles from the surrounding tissues before removing them with your prostate. The robotic system provides magnified three-dimensional vision and precise instrument control, but your surgeon remains fully in control of the procedure.
The seminal vesicles are close to important structures such as the bladder, rectum, blood vessels and nerves, so careful dissection is needed. Once removed, your prostate and seminal vesicles are sent to a pathology laboratory so the pathologist can examine the cancer and check whether it has involved the seminal vesicles.
Is Seminal-Vesicle Removal Different in Robotic and Open Surgery?
The basic aim is the same whether you have robotic, laparoscopic or open radical prostatectomy. Your surgeon will usually remove your prostate and seminal vesicles in each approach, with the main difference being how they access and remove these structures.
With robotic surgery, your surgeon uses several small abdominal openings, a camera and robotic instruments, while open surgery involves a larger incision. Choosing robotic surgery does not usually mean that fewer internal structures are removed because the main goal remains effective cancer removal.
What Does Seminal-Vesicle Invasion Mean?
If cancer is found in one or both seminal vesicles, it means the tumour has grown beyond the prostate into these nearby glands. Doctors call this seminal-vesicle invasion, and it is classified as T3b prostate cancer. This finding can raise the risk of the cancer returning, but it does not tell the whole story on its own.
You may see pT3b on your pathology report after surgery, meaning the stage was confirmed by examining the removed tissue. Seminal-vesicle invasion can increase your risk of recurrence, but your outlook also depends on your PSA, Grade Group, surgical margins, lymph-node results and other pathology findings.
Can MRI Show Whether Cancer Has Reached the Seminal Vesicles?
MRI can sometimes show signs that your prostate cancer has extended towards or into a seminal vesicle. This helps your surgeon understand how locally advanced your cancer may be and plan your operation accordingly.
However, MRI cannot detect every small area of cancer, and a suspicious finding does not always confirm invasion. Your seminal vesicles are therefore examined by a pathologist after surgery, providing more definitive information about whether cancer has actually reached them.
What Does the Pathologist Look for in the Seminal Vesicles?
After your surgery, your prostate and seminal vesicles are examined carefully by a pathologist. They look for cancer within the prostate and check whether it has extended beyond the gland or directly invaded either seminal vesicle.
Your pathology report may include your final Grade Group, tumour stage, surgical margins and whether seminal-vesicle invasion is present. These findings, along with any lymph-node results, help your team understand your prognosis and decide what follow-up or additional treatment you may need.
Does Seminal-Vesicle Invasion Mean You Will Need More Treatment?
Not automatically. Seminal-vesicle invasion increases your risk of recurrence, but your team will consider it alongside your other pathology results rather than making a decision from this finding alone.
Your postoperative PSA is particularly important. If it becomes undetectable, you may be monitored closely, while persistent or rising PSA may lead to discussions about radiotherapy, with hormone treatment considered in some higher-risk situations. Your Grade Group, surgical margins and lymph-node results can also influence the next step.
UK Guidance Note
Seminal-vesicle invasion is an important adverse pathological finding, but it does not automatically mean that immediate radiotherapy or hormone therapy is required after prostatectomy. In UK practice, postoperative management is guided by the complete pathology report and PSA response rather than one feature alone.
Current NICE guidance recommends PSA-based follow-up after radical treatment and states that a rising PSA alone should not necessarily prompt an immediate change in treatment. For biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy without known metastases, NICE recommends radiotherapy to the prostate bed. European guidance also supports adjuvant radiotherapy in selected patients with particularly adverse pathology.
Will You Still Ejaculate Semen After Radical Prostatectomy?
No. After radical prostatectomy, you will no longer ejaculate semen because the prostate and seminal vesicles are removed and the normal pathway carrying sperm into the ejaculate is interrupted. The reproductive ducts are also interrupted during the operation, making this change permanent.
You may still experience orgasm, but there will be no normal release of semen, often described as a dry orgasm. Understanding this before surgery can help you prepare for the change, and your surgeon should discuss ejaculation and sexual function with you as part of your treatment planning.
Is a Dry Orgasm the Same as Losing Your Orgasm?
No. Ejaculation and orgasm are different physical processes. After radical prostatectomy, you will no longer ejaculate because your prostate and seminal vesicles have been removed, but you may still be able to experience orgasm.
Your orgasms may feel different after surgery, and some men experience reduced intensity, delayed orgasm or difficulty reaching orgasm. You may also experience orgasm even if your erections have not fully recovered, because erection, ejaculation and orgasm are separate aspects of sexual function.
Sexual and Fertility Changes After Radical Prostatectomy
| Function | What usually happens after surgery |
| Ejaculation | Semen is no longer ejaculated because the prostate and seminal vesicles have been removed and the reproductive pathway is interrupted |
| Orgasm | Orgasm may still be possible, although the sensation can feel different after surgery |
| Erections | Erectile function may recover depending on factors such as nerve preservation, age, previous erectile function and overall health |
| Sperm production | The testicles can continue producing sperm even though sperm can no longer leave the body through ejaculation |
| Natural fertility | Natural conception through intercourse is no longer possible |
| Future biological children | Sperm banking before surgery or, in some cases, surgical sperm retrieval may allow assisted fertility treatment |
Is Seminal-Vesicle Removal What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
Not directly. Your seminal vesicles contribute fluid to semen, but they are not primarily responsible for producing erections. Erections depend largely on the nerves and blood vessels running close to your prostate, which your surgeon may try to preserve when it is safe from a cancer-control perspective.
Erectile function can still take time to recover after nerve-sparing surgery, and some men need treatments such as tablets, vacuum devices or injections. The loss of ejaculation is directly related to removing the prostate and seminal vesicles, while erectile function depends more on your nerves, blood supply, pre-surgery erections and how much nerve preservation is possible.
Can You Still Have a Sex Life Without Seminal Vesicles?
Yes. Removing your prostate and seminal vesicles changes how you experience sex, but it does not necessarily mean you have to give up a satisfying sex life. You can still experience sexual desire, intimacy and physical pleasure, and you may still be able to have orgasms without ejaculation.
Your erections may take time to recover, particularly after nerve-sparing surgery, and you may need treatments such as tablets or vacuum devices during recovery. Sex may feel different afterwards, but satisfying sexual activity can still be possible.
Can You Father a Child Naturally After Radical Prostatectomy?
No. After radical prostatectomy, you will not be able to father a child naturally through intercourse. Your testicles can continue producing sperm, but the normal pathway for sperm to leave your body is interrupted, and you will no longer ejaculate semen.
If having biological children in the future is important to you, discuss fertility preservation before surgery because sperm cryopreservation is most straightforward before cancer treatment. Sperm banking before your operation can help preserve the option of having children through assisted fertility treatment later.
Can You Still Use Your Own Sperm After Surgery?
Potentially, yes, but you would need assisted fertility treatment. Your testicles can continue producing sperm after radical prostatectomy, even though you will no longer ejaculate semen. If you store sperm before surgery, it can be used later for fertility treatment.
If you did not bank sperm beforehand, a fertility specialist may sometimes be able to retrieve sperm directly from your testicles after surgery. Options such as IVF or ICSI may then be considered, depending on your circumstances.
Evidence Note
If having biological children in the future is important to you, it is best to discuss fertility before your surgery. Sperm banking before treatment is usually the simplest way to preserve this option.
Your testicles can still produce sperm after radical prostatectomy, but sperm can no longer leave your body through ejaculation. If you did not store sperm before surgery, a fertility specialist may sometimes be able to retrieve sperm directly from the testicles for use in fertility treatment. This involves an additional procedure and is not successful in every case.
Can the Seminal Vesicles Ever Be Preserved?
Complete seminal-vesicle removal remains the standard approach during radical prostatectomy, although preserving the tips may be considered in carefully selected men with a very low risk of involvement. In a randomised trial involving 140 men, seminal-vesicle sparing did not produce a significant improvement in urinary or sexual function at 12 months compared with standard nerve-sparing prostatectomy.
However, preserving them does not restore normal ejaculation or fertility. Radical prostatectomy still removes the prostate and interrupts the normal reproductive pathway, so you should view seminal-vesicle preservation as a surgical consideration rather than a way to prevent a dry orgasm.
Does Removing the Seminal Vesicles Change Urinary Control?
Removing your seminal vesicles is not usually the main reason for urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Urinary control depends more on structures such as your urinary sphincter, bladder neck, urethra and pelvic-floor muscles, which can be affected during prostate removal and reconstruction.
You may therefore experience some urine leakage after your catheter is removed, regardless of the seminal vesicles. Recovery can continue for several months, and your surgical team can advise you about pelvic-floor exercises and your individual risk.
Will You Notice That the Seminal Vesicles Are Gone?
You are unlikely to feel a physical difference from having your seminal vesicles removed. They are small internal structures, so their absence does not usually create a noticeable sensation during everyday activities.
The main change you may notice is that no semen is released when you have an orgasm. You may also experience changes such as erectile difficulties or altered orgasm sensation after prostatectomy, but these are not caused solely by removing the seminal vesicles.
What Should You Ask Before Robotic Prostate Surgery?
Before your operation, ask your surgeon which structures will be removed and how this may affect you afterwards. Radical prostatectomy usually involves removing your prostate and seminal vesicles, so ask whether your MRI or biopsy shows any concern about cancer extending into either seminal vesicle.
You should also discuss nerve sparing, as preserving the nerves involved in erections does not preserve ejaculation. If future fertility matters to you, ask about sperm banking before surgery and what seminal-vesicle findings on your pathology report could mean for any further treatment.
Myth vs Fact
| Myth | Fact |
| The seminal vesicles are always left in place during robotic prostatectomy. | No. Complete removal with the prostate is the usual approach, although tip preservation may occasionally be considered when the risk of involvement is very low. |
| Removing the seminal vesicles means you cannot have an orgasm. | No. Ejaculation and orgasm are different processes. You may still experience orgasm, although the sensation can change after prostatectomy. |
| Nerve-sparing surgery preserves ejaculation. | No. Nerve sparing may help erectile recovery, but semen ejaculation is permanently lost after radical prostatectomy. |
| Seminal-vesicle invasion means the cancer has spread throughout the body. | No. Seminal-vesicle invasion is classified as pT3b local extension; distant metastatic disease is staged separately. |
| pT3b disease always means you need immediate radiotherapy. | No. Further treatment depends on your PSA, Grade Group, margins, lymph-node findings and overall recurrence risk. |
Key Takeaways
- The seminal vesicles are usually removed with the prostate during radical prostatectomy.
- Cancer invading a seminal vesicle is classified as pT3b disease and is associated with a higher recurrence risk.
- After radical prostatectomy, you will no longer ejaculate semen, although orgasm may still be possible.
- Natural conception through intercourse is no longer possible after surgery, so sperm banking should be discussed before treatment if future fertility matters.
- Seminal-vesicle invasion does not automatically mean immediate additional treatment; postoperative PSA and the rest of your pathology help guide the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are the seminal vesicles removed during robotic prostate surgery?
Yes, your surgeon will usually remove both seminal vesicles along with your prostate during radical prostatectomy. This helps achieve appropriate cancer clearance and allows the pathologist to check whether the cancer has spread into the seminal vesicles.
2. Why are the seminal vesicles removed during prostate surgery?
Your seminal vesicles are located very close to your prostate, and prostate cancer can sometimes grow into them. Removing them allows your surgeon to remove potentially affected tissue and helps provide more accurate information about the stage of your cancer.
3. Can prostate cancer spread to the seminal vesicles?
Yes, prostate cancer can spread from the prostate into one or both seminal vesicles. If this is confirmed on the tissue removed during surgery, it is known as seminal-vesicle invasion and is classified pathologically as pT3b disease.
4. Can you still ejaculate after radical prostatectomy?
No. After radical prostatectomy, semen is no longer ejaculated because the prostate and seminal vesicles are removed and the normal reproductive pathway is interrupted. You may still experience orgasm, which is often described as a dry orgasm.
5. Can you still have an orgasm after prostate surgery?
Yes, you may still be able to experience an orgasm after radical prostatectomy, although it may feel different from before surgery. Orgasm and ejaculation are separate processes, so losing ejaculation does not necessarily mean losing the ability to experience sexual pleasure.
6. Can you father a child after radical prostatectomy?
You will not normally be able to father a child naturally after radical prostatectomy because the normal pathway for sperm to leave your body is interrupted. If having biological children is important to you, sperm banking before surgery may help preserve future fertility options.
7. Does removing the seminal vesicles cause erectile dysfunction?
Not directly. Erectile function mainly depends on the nerves and blood vessels around your prostate, so your surgeon may consider nerve-sparing surgery when it is safe from a cancer-control perspective.
8. Can you still have a sex life after seminal-vesicle removal?
Yes, removing your prostate and seminal vesicles does not necessarily prevent you from having a satisfying sex life. You may still experience sexual desire, intimacy and orgasm, although erections and orgasm sensations can change during recovery.
9. What does seminal-vesicle invasion mean on your pathology report?
Seminal-vesicle invasion means that prostate cancer has grown into one or both seminal vesicles. It is classified as pT3b disease and can increase your risk of recurrence, although your PSA, Grade Group, surgical margins and lymph-node results also influence your outlook.
10. Can the seminal vesicles be preserved during prostate surgery?
In selected men with a very low risk of cancer involving the seminal vesicles, your surgeon may consider preserving their tips. However, this does not restore normal ejaculation or fertility because the prostate is still removed and the reproductive pathway is interrupted.
Final Thoughts: Understanding What Happens to Your Seminal Vesicles
During radical prostatectomy, your seminal vesicles are usually removed with your prostate to help your surgeon achieve appropriate cancer clearance and provide important information about the extent of your cancer. While this means you will no longer ejaculate semen or be able to father a child naturally, you may still be able to experience orgasm and enjoy a fulfilling sex life.
Before your operation, you may wish to discuss fertility, nerve-sparing surgery, erectile function and what you can expect after treatment. If you are considering robotic prostate surgery in London and would like specialist advice, you can contact our team to discuss your options and arrange a consultation tailored to your individual needs.
References:
- European Association of Urology (2026) EAU Guidelines on Prostate Cancer. EAU Guidelines Office, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Available at: https://uroweb.org/guidelines/prostate-cancer
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2019, updated 2021) Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG131. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng131
- Su, H.I. et al. (2025) ‘Fertility preservation in people with cancer: ASCO guideline update’, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 43(12), pp. 1488–1515. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40106739/
- Gilbert, S.M. et al. (2017) ‘Functional outcomes following nerve sparing prostatectomy augmented with seminal vesicle sparing compared to standard nerve sparing prostatectomy: results from a randomized controlled trial’, The Journal of Urology, 198(3), pp. 600–607. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28392393/
- Frey, A.U., Sønksen, J. and Fode, M. (2014) ‘Neglected side effects after radical prostatectomy: a systematic review’, The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11(2), pp. 374–385. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24267516/