Radical prostatectomy

A radical prostatectomy works by removing your whole prostate as a treatment for prostate cancer.

Radical means your entire prostate gland is removed, along with your seminal vesicles (a gland involved in semen production) and sometimes nearby lymph nodes.

At The London Clinic, our surgeons perform radical prostatectomy using our state-of-the-art da Vinci robot instead of using hand-held instruments that are used during open radical prostatectomy.

This advanced technology reduces your recovery time and helps ensure your treatment goes smoothly.

A robotic prostatectomy is a type of keyhole surgery, also called laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, using small incisions in your lower abdomen while you’re under general anaesthetic.

How long it takes to recover from a radical prostatectomy depends on how fit and healthy you are before your surgery.

Recovery from a robotic prostatectomy with da Vinci is usually quicker than open surgery, so you’ll likely be back to your usual activities in two to three weeks.

Our enhanced pre-admission assessment will help you prepare for your surgery and know what to expect so you can get a head start on your recovery.

You may feel tired for a few weeks or possibly months after your surgery.

This is normal so just take it steady. You’ll improve day by day.

We’ll have regular follow-ups with you to make sure you’re recovering as expected, and if there’s anything you’re worried about, you can contact your care team at any time.

By improving the accuracy of your prostatectomy, the benefits of robotic surgery are reduced side effects, such as less bleeding, pain and scarring, and improved recovery time.

This is because by using the da Vinci robot, your surgeon can make smaller, more precise movements when cutting or stitching, which helps to avoid damage to the surrounding healthy tissues such as nerves.

This is known as nerve-sparing surgery.

The most common side effects of radical prostatectomy are urinary problems and erectile dysfunction.

Your chance of having prostatectomy side effects and how severe they are can be affected by where your cancer is, your age and weight.

Urinary problems

After your prostatectomy, you’ll have a catheter (a tube inserted into your bladder via your urethra) in place for 10 to 14 days.

Once this is removed, you may notice leaking urine (urinary incontinence) or more rarely, difficulty urinating (urine retention). Most men find their urinary symptoms improve over time.

Before your surgery, your consultant will give you advice on how to manage urinary problems, such as using absorbent pads, so you’re prepared.

Erectile dysfunction

You’re likely to get erection problems after prostatectomy, but you should find this improves over time and treatments can help, such as medication.

It can take up to three years for erectile dysfunction to improve, however, you might find your erections don’t return to normal.

Your consultant will discuss your likely risk of having long-term sexual function problems and the options available to help you.