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Radical Prostatectomy
Prostatectomy usually requires general anesthesia and a hospital stay of 2 to 4 days. A thin, flexible tube called a catheter usually is left in your bladder to drain your urine for 1 to 3 weeks. Your doctor will give you instructions about how to care for your catheter at home. Bladder control can be poor for a few months after the catheter is removed.
Although prostatectomy often removes all cancer cells, be sure to get follow-up care, which may lead to early detection and treatment if your cancer comes back. Your regular follow-up program may include:
- Physical exams.
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, to watch PSA levels and to measure the speed of any changes in those levels.
- Digital rectal exams.
- Biopsies as needed, to look at suspicious tissue.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: June 21, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine J. Curtis Nickel, MD, FRCSC - Urology | |
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