Recovery After
Robotic Prostatectomy

Most men stay one to two nights. You will be encouraged to sit out of bed and walk on the day of surgery or the morning after, which lowers the risk of chest infection and clots. You can usually eat normally on the day of surgery. A drip and, in some cases, a small drain are usually removed before discharge. Pain is usually manageable with simple painkillers.

You go home with a urinary catheter in place, and you will be shown how to empty and change the bag before you leave.

Expect to feel tired. Short, frequent walks are better than rest alone. Avoid lifting anything heavy, and avoid driving while the catheter is in place.

Some blood-staining in the urine, bladder spasms and discomfort around the catheter are common. Constipation is also common after surgery, and straining is best avoided, so a gentle laxative is often advised.

Contact the clinic if the catheter stops draining, if you develop a fever, if the wound becomes red, hot or leaks fluid, or if you have calf pain, chest pain or breathlessness. If this happens outside working hours, please go to the Emergency Department at Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

The catheter usually stays in for around 10 days, depending on the reconstruction and your recovery. Removal is a quick outpatient appointment, and you will be asked to stay until you have passed urine.

Leakage is usual immediately after removal. Pads will be needed at first, and most men use fewer pads in the coming weeks.

Pelvic floor exercises help continence return. Ideally they are started before surgery, and restarted once the catheter is out. Doing them regularly matters more than doing many at once, and a physiotherapist can check your technique.

Some men regain control within a few weeks. Most see a steady improvement over the first three months, with further gains up to a year. Recovery differs from person to person, and factors such as age, prostate size and urinary function before surgery all play a part. Persisting leakage beyond a year can be treated, and options will be discussed at follow-up.

Desk-based work is often possible within two to four weeks, and physical work usually later. Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for about six weeks to protect the healing join between the bladder and urethra.

Driving can resume once the catheter is out, you are off strong painkillers, and you could perform an emergency stop comfortably. Check the position with your insurer.

Nerve function recovers slowly, over months rather than weeks, and depends on whether nerve-sparing was possible and on erectile function before surgery. Treatments to support recovery are available and will be discussed. Ejaculation will no longer occur after the prostate is removed, and fertility is affected: sperm banking is discussed before surgery for anyone who may want children.

A PSA test is usually taken around six weeks after surgery. After the prostate is removed, PSA should fall to a very low level, and follow-up is aimed at detecting any rise early.

Seek urgent medical attention for fever or shivering, heavy bleeding or clots blocking the catheter, inability to pass urine after the catheter is removed, worsening abdominal pain, a red or discharging wound, or calf, chest or breathing symptoms.