During the procedure
You will be asked to undress and put on a gown. You will be given an anesthetic that will either numb your body below the waist or put you to sleep. A catheter is placed into your bladder to drain urine.
There are several ways that surgeons can remove the prostate gland. A surgeon may make an incision through your abdomen from the belly button down to the area of the penis (called retropubic prostatectomy). Another method is to make an incision between the anus and the scrotum (perineal prostatectomy). In a laparoscopic prostatectomy, the surgeon makes small incisions through the abdomen and inserts a camera that will give the surgeon a clear view of the prostate.
During the surgery, the prostate gland and the seminal vesicles are removed. If your surgeon decides to remove the surrounding lymph nodes, they are sent to the laboratory and examined to make sure the cancer has not spread. The incisions are then closed with stitches.
The procedure usually takes about 3 to 4 hours.
After the procedure
It is normal to feel pain or discomfort after this procedure. Your upper thighs might also be swollen or bruised. You will usually have to stay in the hospital for 1 to 4 days.
If you were given general anesthesia before the surgery, you will be assigned to a hospital recovery room immediately after the surgery. As the anesthesia wears off, you may feel sore, groggy, or nauseous. Nurses will be available to assist you.
After the anesthesia wears off, you will be required to stay in the hospital overnight, at which point you will be moved to a regular ward for the rest of your stay. Before you are discharged, the doctor or nurse will explain the steps you need to take to complete your recovery at home, including how to care for your catheter. For most men, the catheter is removed about 14 days after surgery. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to fully recover after a prostatectomy.
Your surgeon will follow-up with you after the surgery to ensure that you are recovering well from the surgery. You will have your prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels monitored after surgery.