← Return to Recovery after Robotic Prostatectomy

Discussion

Recovery after Robotic Prostatectomy

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Sep 7 9:44am | Replies (21)

Comment receiving replies
@retireditguy

I'm 70, had bilateral NS RALP late 06/2024. I'm about 9 weeks out from surgery. I don't understand your question about "squeezing penis like after urinating" since you still have the catheter in, so I'll just tell you about my experience after surgery. Catheter removal at 7 days was totally painless and easy. I took a Depends with me and put it on after catheter removal, but ended up being continent. However, things feel different so it's easy to have an accident. For example, my urine flow rate is like I'm 30 years younger so when I step up to a urinal I need to be ready because the flow starts immediately; no pause nor slow start like before surgery when I still had my enlarged prostate. Also, even though I'm continent, I've had a few minor accidents at odd times. For example, when I was allowed to resume working out at the gym after 6 weeks (no bicycling for 3 months), I started slowly and everything was fine. But after a couple more weeks I was getting back into heavier weights. Then the first time I "strained" lifting weights I had a minor urine release which totally surprised me. Ditto the first time I ate something that gave me gas and I tried to pass wind I also had a minor urine release. Minor surprises I probably should have expected, but I'm still adjusting to my new normal. No big deal since I'm retired, but if I was still working I'd probably have worn Depends or pads for at least a month or two until I was confident I'd figured things out a bit more. I do still have a large bed pad under the sheet "just in case", but I haven't had any issue while sleeping. I don't know if they've helped, but I did start kegals about a month before surgery and resumed them some time after the catheter came out (I don't remember exactly when). While I had the catheter and immediately after it's removal my penis tip was sore. Also, my testicals were a bit swollen after surgery. But both of those issues have gotten better as time passed. At this point, I'm feeling pretty normal except for sexual function. From what I've read, sexual function recovery will probably take a while. I started trying to have sex about a month after the catheter came out. Although I'm getting a response it's pretty marginal for intercourse. But it does seem to be slowly getting better, so I'm optimistic. Before surgery I was already using Viagra, so I've resumed using it. I have an appointment with the surgeon coming up soon and I do plan to tell him where I'm at with sexual function recovery and ask about getting a consult from whichever of his colleagues has experience with sexual function rehabilitation after surgery. I just want to baseline where I'm at and make sure I don't neglect getting any appropriate help to aid my sexual recovery. About the only other thing I should probably mention is that I read both the surgical report and the prostate biopsy when they showed up on the portal. I was pleased that the surgical report listed no complications. My prostate pathology report found clean margins (good) and it reported both Cribiform and IDC present (not good). So I'll be particularly diligent about tracking my PSA going forward. Long story short, every week has been better than the last since the catheter came out. Sexual function is still a work in progress, but other than that my life has returned to normal. Best wishes on your recovery!

Jump to this post


Replies to "I'm 70, had bilateral NS RALP late 06/2024. I'm about 9 weeks out from surgery. I..."

Thanks for your input!
When I mentioned squeezing of penis is the contraction made by the penis like signal of no more urine, kind of like a kegel exercise contraction, but instead of feeling it in the perineal are you feel it in your penis.