Prostate Cancer Surgery Recovery Time
Men should refrain from jobs that require lifting and strenuous physical activity for six weeks.
Prostate cancer surgery recovery time. Typically patients will stay in the hospital overnight after surgery and then need to recuperate at home for one to two weeks before returning to work. Within a few hours of the surgery most patients are able to move around and eat a normal dinner. 9 tips for recovering from prostate removal. You ll have a catheter in your penis that will carry urine to a bag.
The catheter needs to be in place until your urethra heals usually about two or three weeks. That s because surgery can injure any of the nerves muscles and blood vessels involved in getting an erection. You can usually leave the hospital after 1 to 2 days and return to normal activities in 1 to 2 weeks. If you work from home you could return to work sooner.
While you are in the hospital you will probably be given pain medication by mouth and through a vein intravenously in your hand. Doctors recommend no strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least one month after surgery. After surgery a catheter thin flexible tube is inserted through the penis and into the bladder. A foley catheter will remain in place until your surgeon thinks it should be removed.
What to expect after prostate cancer surgery. Most people take off work for three to four weeks. Most men return to work within one to six weeks. Listen to your doctor.
Most patients can return to full activity within four weeks of the procedure. You can probably go home in two or three days. After the surgery you may experience ed for a few weeks a year or longer. You won t be able to drive immediately after a prostatectomy so arrange for a ride to and from the hospital.
Once you arrive home following the procedure try walking every hour for at least 10 minutes. Adhere to all activity. Within a week you should increase the amount you are walking. One month after surgery.
Typically the catheter will stay in place for 24 hours for procedures that shrink the prostate and up to two weeks for surgeries that remove the prostate tissue. One month after surgery. Different men will feel they are able to return to work at different times depending on their operation and the success of their recovery. By one month after surgery your life should start getting back to normal.