Radical prostatectomy

During this operation the entire prostate gland is removed surgically in an attempt to cure the disease. It is only done when the cancer has not spread from the prostate, and usually in men under 70. It is a common operation for prostate cancer. An incision is made in the abdomen or in the perineum, the area between the legs between the scrotum and the anus. The operation is usually carried out under general anaesthetic. Most men remain in hospital for a week to ten days. Some of the men who had this operation describe their hospital experiences (also see section 'Side effects of treatments').

Richard’s surgery seemed to go well though he was in the operating theatre for six hours. He describes his immediate post-operative recovery.

Describes his experience of the Radical Prostatectomy.

Describes his experiences of the hospital and discomfort afterwards.

Comments that he found the operation straight forward but had some discomfort afterwards.

Describes his experience of the operation.

The prostatectomy was not as painful as he had expected it to be.

Haq explains why surgeons found it impossible to remove all of his prostate

After the operation John developed a MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infection.

The latest way of performing radical prostatectomy is laparoscopic (keyhole surgery), either standard or robot assisted. These are minimally invasive with the advantages of reduced blood loss, postoperative pain and a shorter hospital stay. For more information see Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.