Patient education: Prostate removal surgery – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is prostate removal surgery? — Prostate removal surgery, or "prostatectomy," is a procedure to remove the prostate. The prostate is a gland that surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis) (figure 1). Lymph nodes or tissue around the prostate might also be removed during this surgery.

This surgery can be done in 2 ways:

●Open surgery – During open surgery, the doctor makes a cut, or "incision," in the skin. This can be done on the lower belly or between the rectum and the scrotum. This allows the doctor to see directly inside the body when they do the surgery.

●Minimally invasive surgery – "Minimally invasive" surgery allows the doctor to make smaller cuts in the skin. They insert long, thin tools through the cuts. One of the tools has a camera (called a "laparoscope") on the end, which sends pictures to a TV screen. The doctor can look at the screen to see inside the body. Then, they use the long tools to do the surgery. They can control the tools directly, or with the help of a robot (this is called "robot-assisted" surgery).

You might be able to return to normal activities sooner if you had minimally invasive surgery than if you had an open surgery.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

For the first 24 hours after surgery:

●Do not drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery.

●Do not make any important decisions or sign any important papers.

●Do not drink alcohol of any kind.

You should also:

●Drink plenty of water. This is especially important if your urine looks red or has small blood clots in it. It is normal for your urine to have a small amount of blood in it right after surgery.

●Take medicines to relieve pain. Instead of opioids, you can take non-prescription medicines to relieve pain. These include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

●Take care of the catheter:

•Wash your skin around the catheter with soap and water each day. Rinse well, and pat dry. Do not use lotions or cream on the tube.

•Keep the catheter secure. You can use special straps or some other device to keep the bag or catheter on your leg.

•Do not let the catheter pull or catch when you are moving around. Do not let the catheter or tubing kink or loop.

•Do not clamp the catheter or tubing unless you were told to do this.

•Keep the urine collection bag below your bladder.

•Drain the urine collection bag often. To empty the bag:

-Wash your hands.

-Slide the drain tube out of its holder.

-Place the drain tube over the toilet or a clean container. Do not let the drain tube touch the toilet or container.

-Open the clamp or valve, and drain the urine.

-When the bag is empty, close the clamp or valve and place it back in the holder.

-Wash your hands.

●Do pelvic floor exercises, following your doctor's instructions. These will help with bladder control.

●Increase your activity slowly – Start with short walks around your home, and walk a little more each day.

•Avoid heavy lifting and sports for at least a week or 2. (Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.)

•Avoid having sex for 3 to 4 weeks.

●Use a stool softener to help prevent constipation, if needed. This is a common problem if you take opioid pain medicines. Follow all instructions for taking your pain medicines.

●Try to avoid constipation. Eat foods that have a lot of fiber. Drink plenty of water and other fluids.

What follow-up care do I need? — The doctor will want to see you again after surgery to check on your progress. Go to these appointments.

If you have a catheter, the doctor will usually want to do remove it in 1 to 7 days. Do not try to remove it yourself.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if:

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.

●You are not able to urinate, and your bladder feels full.

●You have pain or burning when you urinate that lasts longer than a few days.

●You have large blood clots (the size of a quarter or bigger) in your urine, or start seeing more blood in your urine.

●Your urine is thick or cloudy, or has a bad smell.

●You have very bad pain in your belly that is not helped by pain relievers.

More on this topic

Patient education: Prostate removal surgery (The Basics)
Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) (The Basics)
Patient education: Surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (The Basics)
Patient education: Prostate biopsy (The Basics)
Patient education: Prostate cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Prostate cancer screening (PSA tests) (The Basics)
Patient education: Choosing treatment for low-risk localized prostate cancer (The Basics)

Patient education: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Prostate cancer screening (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Treatment for advanced prostate cancer (Beyond the Basics)