What to Expect Whilst Recovering From Robotic Prostate Removal Surgery

When a patient suffers from prostate cancer, prostate removal is often the best choice, especially when the cancer is confined to the prostate gland only. The most advanced type of prostate removal today is robotic prostate surgery. In this surgery, your surgeon uses surgical tools attached to a robotic arm to perform highly precise series of movements for prostate removal. Here's what you need to know about robotic prostate surgery recovery.

What to Expect Immediately After Your Surgery

One of the major advantages of the robotic surgery approach is that it can often be performed as a day patient surgery. There are generally only a small group of tiny incisions in robotic prostate surgery, and this means less bleeding and less pain. It also means that the surgery is less complex and that it takes only a couple of hours. 

You'll have regional anaesthesia in most cases, although some cases may require general anaesthesia, where you're completely asleep for the operation. After your surgery, you'll generally lay comfortably in the recovery area for a couple of hours or less while the surgeon monitors you. You can generally return home straight away afterwards. You'll need to have a friend or family member drive you home after the procedure, and it's ideal if you can have them stay with you for a few days as well. 

What to Expect While Recovering at Home

Your surgeon will prescribe any necessary medications following your robotic prostate removal surgery. Whilst robotic surgery does allow for a much easier recovery than traditional open abdominal surgery, you'll still experience some degree of discomfort or pain for a day or two. Take medications precisely as prescribed, and you'll begin to feel better quite quickly. 

Most patients rest for one to two days after the surgery and then gradually return to regular activities over the next week or so. You can generally resume physical activity, driving, and work around a week after surgery. Urinary incontinence can be a problem for patients who are recovering from robotic prostate removal surgery, but it's usually a temporary problem. Over the coming weeks and months, you'll become better able to control urine flow and to make certain the bladder is fully emptied whilst urinating.

Sexual activity is different for each man who undergoes robotic prostate removal. It may take some time to resume sexual activity after surgery, but it's entirely possible with the guidance of your doctor. 

If you're planning robotic prostate cancer surgery soon, you can feel confident about it. You'll soon be cancer free -- and the recovery might just be easier than you had imagined!