Yes, you can care for yourself after prostate surgery by focusing on rest, gentle activity like walking, a healthy diet to prevent constipation, managing pain with doctor-approved medication (avoiding codeine), and following all specific instructions for catheter, wound, driving, and lifting care, with significant help needed initially and regular follow-ups essential for a full recovery.
After surgery for prostate cancer
You can expect to return to your usual activities within about 6 weeks of the surgery. Usually you can start driving again in a couple of weeks, but heavy lifting should be avoided for 6 weeks. It's common to have pain after the surgery, so you may need pain relief for a few days.
You can start daily activities (such as walking and climbing stairs) immediately when you get home. However, you should wait three to four weeks before beginning any heavy exercise, such as jogging, weight lifting, and bicycle riding.
In the week after surgery, your penis and scrotum may swell. This usually gets better after 1 to 2 weeks. The incisions may be sore for 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will give you medicine for pain.
You may wonder if you can survive or live without a prostate. The answer is yes. Prostatectomy, like any surgery, comes with some risks and side effects. Your healthcare team works to lower these risks.
Radical prostatectomy often affects the nerves you need to get an erection. Almost all men have problems getting an erection after surgery. This is called impotence or erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction may recover over time for some men.
(Many men do not need any more treatment.) One month after surgery : Doctors recommend no strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least one month after surgery. Most people take off work for three to four weeks. If you work from home, you could return to work sooner.
However, for most men, regaining full control of their urine is a gradual process that takes several weeks or months. By six months, most men who were continent before the surgery no longer need pads, though some prefer to wear just a liner for security even if they do not leak.
A radical prostatectomy is a major operation with some possible side effects. You may not need this type of surgery if you have a slow growing prostate cancer.
You will not be able to drive until you feel you are able to make an emergency stop. This is usually at least two weeks after keyhole surgery, and at least four weeks after an open operation. You should check with your car insurance company before you start driving again.
You may also have a spinal anaesthetic so you can't feel anything in your lower body afterwards, to make you more comfortable. The operation usually takes two to four hours but can take longer. As well as the prostate, your surgeon will also take out the seminal vesicles.
Avoid caffeine, citrus, and alcoholbecause they irritate the bladder and can cause bladder spasms. Please drink plenty of water.
When you return home after surgery, break up daily walks into shorter walks. Your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day. Increase your walking speed and time as you are able. You may want to create a daily walking schedule.
Urinary incontinence is when you can't control urination (peeing). It often occurs in males after surgery for prostate cancer like a prostatectomy (removal of your prostate) or radiation therapy.
If you have any questions as you heal from your surgery, ask your doctor or nurse case manager. Will I Need Someone to Help Me After My Surgery? You will not need a nurse to take care of you after you are home, but it is a good idea to have someone who can help you for a week or two.
Be gentle with yourself as you rehabilitate from your surgery. Give yourself time to heal but stay active with time to rest in between. Walking is the best thing to do so get out and see what is going on in the neighborhood.
Prostate removal is major surgery, so expect some soreness and pain. You'll receive IV pain medications at first, and your doctor may prescribe you pain medication to use at home. You will also have a urinary catheter in place for about the first week, which you might find uncomfortable.
Staying comfortable the first week after prostate surgery begins with wearing comfortable clothing. Depending on your situation and when you plan to return to work, keep wearing clothing such as sweatpants or shorts to reduce any pressure in the surgical site area.
Diet is key. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day as the bowel prep will make you lose fluid. Clear liquids are best. You should stop eating or drinking by midnight.
What to do at home after surgery
Prostatectomy patients typically spend one night in the hospital and are usually discharged as soon as their laboratory tests are acceptable, pain is controlled and they are able to retain liquids. Patients are discharged with special catheter, which is removed during an outpatient visit 5-7 days after the operation.
Pelvic floor exercises target and strengthen the muscles that control your bladder. Your doctor or specialist nurse will talk you through what to do. Research has shown that pelvic floor exercises can help you stop or reduce urine leakage.
If you had laparoscopic or robotic surgery, you can usually go home after 1 to 2 days. After open surgery, it is usually between 3 and 7 days. You can usually get back to normal activities 4 to 12 weeks after surgery, depending on the operation you had. If you had robotic-assisted surgery, you usually recover faster.
A highly experienced open surgeon usually achieves better overall results than an inexperienced robotic surgeon. But, when other styles of performing prostatectomy are compared to robotic prostatectomy, the robotic prostatectomy will provide advantages in nearly every measurable outcome parameter.
Munding et al studied 31 men and measured penile length in the stretched flaccid state (accepted as equivalent to erect length) and showed that 71% had a decrease in penile length compared to preoperatively with 48% of men demonstrating a >1-cm loss with a range of loss between 0.5 and 4 cm [2].