I'm now 16 weeks post RALP, catheter came out 6 days after surgery. I think my bladder recovery has been average, from what I've read. For the first two weeks after cath removal, I was changing pads 3 times a day, going from #4 Poise pads to #3 during that time. Weighing the pads, I had ~80 ml urine loss/24 hours, more in the evenings than at other times. Over the next three weeks, I dropped to ~ 15 ml/day using the #2 pad. I stayed at that level for about a month. I had steadily improving continence, going from sudden unexpected loss to only losing it when I performed an awkward maneuver. By 12 weeks/3 months, I was down to less than 5 ml loss per day, using only one #1 pad. Now, I still wear the pad, but have no urine loss. So the curve of daily urine loss would look like a classic parabola, starting up high and decreasing at a slower and slower rate over 3-4 months, eventually getting to zero.

Details about me which might be relevant: 74 y/o, normal weight (BMI 22), very fit due to 20 + years doing triathlons (life-long swimmer/biker). I started very aggressive Kegel's PT 4 weeks before surgery, along with increasing swim/bike/running to be as fit as possible going into recovery. Coming out, I gradually decreased the amount of Kegel's done daily, to the point where now I do them once a day, five times a week. I'm doing 10 mild squeezes held for 12 seconds each, that takes 3-4 minutes. Then 12 very hard, short pulls, that takes about a minute.

I suspect in addition to one's level of pre-op muscular fitness and endurance, and body mass, the amount of bladder tissue removed directly above the prostate must also be important. That's something which is difficult to quantify, even for the surgeon doing the procedure. And certainly it's not something which we patients can compare with each other. For those who take longer for full continence to return, I suspect a large part of that has to do with the character of the surgery more than anything else. It is certainly not a moral failing on our part...