imabeliever1

Had a robotic prostatectomy Tuesday. Successful surgery released Wednesday afternoon. Am home with a catheter feeling like I did a thousand sit-ups. Have not had followup yet ,so lots of unanswered questions from people with experience. Who here has had this type of "work"? And how long till you could ride without problems? How long till you had normal bladder control again? Did procedure have negative effect on your day to day life, ability to work etc?? Thanks

JanMM

One advantage of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery is that feeling like you did a thousand sit-ups is preferable to feeling as if your abdomen was attacked by Jack the Ripper. Neither is fun but one is better than the other.
That doesn't answer your question, though. Not speaking as a patient, but as a nurse who has read about but never cared for men who've had this done. Most go home very quickly. You probably already have a follow-up with voiding test scheduled. Don't know what percentage of patients pass the test on first try and are able to be rid of the catheter. That'll be a first step. Think positive!
Hopefully, you'll get some feedback here from those who've gone through it, too. Good luck!

Cougrrcj

The surgeon who did my radical (laporoscopic) surgery back in Aug 2011 said that while he could perform the DaVinci Robotic surgery, he preferred the 'regular' since he had more 'feel', which lessened the chances of 'accidentally' cutting a nerve or nicking something else. That said, he did a suberb job and I have absolutely NO bladder control issues or other complications. The worst part was the catheter for a week after. Neosporin is your friend. Ask your doctor and you'll understand.

Hangtownmatt

During a prostatectomy a section of the urethra is removed and completely disconnected from the bladder. The bladder is then pulled down a bit and the shortened urethra reattached. Most doctors will tell you to wait 3 months before riding a bicycle. I feel this is the absolute minimum. I waited almost 6 months because scar tissue can form for up to a year. Scar tissue in this area can cause lifelong complications. Why push it? Give your body time to heal. Find another mode of transportation and/or exercise. This is a great time to work on your core.

OldTryGuy

Can not reply regarding protatectomy but will agree with Hangtownmatt about chilling out and giving it time. I rushed my return to bike after my prostate surgery 3 weeks ago and wound up regressing health wise. Doctor knew how avid I am and said I could ride after cath came out, 8 days after, but he did not know I would go and ride 55.5 miles, matter of fact neither did I but I felt soooo good and way over did it. Your procedure was much more invasive than mine so easy does it so future complications are kept at bay. In March I walked 32.5 miles in our overnight Relay for Life and because I screwed up by biking too soon, I can only get out for a very slow 5K right now.

Please heal and rebuild your core. Good luck.

Cougrrcj

After my surgery, I was told to 'take it easy' for 6-8 weeks. No lifting over 2 pounds the first week, five the second, 10 the third... Since I work(ed) at USPS at the time and we must be able to lift 80 pounds, I HAD to take off work until I was cleared - and that was eight weeks. You DO NOT want to tear the abdominal muscles that are trying to heal. Yes, yes, the DaVinci Robotic supposedly uses four 1" incisions - my non-robotic used three - one 2" at the navel, and two 1" outboard...

And ditto what Hangtownmatt said about cut/splice to your urethra - you DO NOT want to have an internal leak!!!! Eight weeks off the bike should be the MINIMUM.

Jarrettsin

I have not had the procedure but my best friend did. He is three and a half months removed and he is just starting to regain good control. I'm Sure each person is different.