Retropubic Prostatectomy

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on May 4, 2025.

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A retropubic prostatectomy is surgery to remove your prostate gland.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE:

Before your surgery:

• Informed consent is a legal document that explains the tests, treatments, or procedures that you may need. Informed consent means you understand what will be done and can make decisions about what you want. You give your permission when you sign the consent form. You can have someone sign this form for you if you are not able to sign it. You have the right to understand your medical care in words you know. Before you sign the consent form, understand the risks and benefits of what will be done. Make sure all your questions are answered.
• An IV is a small tube placed in your vein that is used to give you medicine or liquids.
• Medicines:
  • An enema (liquid medicine put in your rectum) may be given to help clean out your bowel.
  • Antibiotics help prevent an infection caused by bacteria. You may get antibiotic medicine before and after your surgery.
• Anesthesia is medicine to make you comfortable during the surgery. Healthcare providers will work with you to decide which anesthesia is best for you:
  • General anesthesia will keep you asleep and free from pain during surgery. Anesthesia may be given through your IV. You may instead breathe it in through a mask or a tube placed down your throat. The tube may cause you to have a sore throat when you wake up.
  • Spinal anesthesia is injected into the spine to numb you below the waist. You will remain awake during the surgery.

During your surgery:

• A catheter (long, thin tube) will be inserted in your urethra and into your bladder to drain your urine. An incision will be made in your abdomen below your belly button. Your surgery may be done with a laparoscope, through small cuts in your abdomen. A laparoscope is a long metal tube with a light and camera on the end. Your surgeon may use a robot-assist device if a laparoscope is used during surgery. Before your prostate gland is removed, lymph nodes may be removed and sent to a lab to test for cancer.
• Your surgeon will cut your urethra below the prostate gland and remove the catheter. Stitches will be put into your urethra to help stop bleeding. Your prostate gland will be cut away from your bladder neck and removed through the cut in your abdomen. The bladder neck is where the bottom of your bladder meets your urethra. Your bladder neck and urethra will be sewn back together, and a new catheter will be put in. Liquid will be flushed through the catheter to remove blood and blood clots from your bladder. A drain will be placed in your incision to remove blood and fluid. Your incision will be closed with stitches. The area will be covered with a bandage.

Drugs used to treat this and similar conditions

After your surgery:

You will be taken to a room to rest until you are awake. Do not get out of bed until your healthcare provider says it is okay. Once healthcare providers see that you are not having any problems, you will be taken to your hospital room.

• You may need to get out of bed to walk on the day after your surgery. Call for a healthcare provider before you get out of bed for the first time. If you feel weak or dizzy while standing up, sit or lie down right away and call for a healthcare provider. Ask healthcare providers for exercises you can do in bed. Exercise helps blood move through your body and may help prevent blood clots.
• Keep the Foley catheter bag below your waist. If the bag is lifted higher, urine will flow back into your bladder and cause an infection. Do not pull on the catheter, because this may cause pain and bleeding. The catheter may also come out. Do not let the catheter tubing to kink or twist. A kink or twist will block the flow of urine. Healthcare providers will remove the catheter when you no longer need it.
• The amounts of blood and urine that drain will be measured. The drain in your wound will be removed when blood and fluid stop flowing from it.
• Medicines may be given. You may need medicine to relieve pain or prevent constipation.

RISKS:

• During surgery, your nerves, bowel, rectum, and other organs and tissues may be damaged. Blood vessels may be damaged, causing you to bleed more than expected. You may need a blood transfusion if this happens. After surgery, blood may collect in your pelvic area (between your legs and hips) that needs draining. You may have pain, and you may get an infection in your wound or urinary tract. Your urethra or bladder neck may become narrow and block the flow of your urine. Urine may leak from your bladder and collect in nearby areas, such as your abdomen. You may get a hernia in your lower abdomen. A hernia occurs when part of your intestine pushes through weak muscle in your abdomen.
• After surgery, you may leak urine and bowel movements. Urine leakage may be short-term or permanent. You may have trouble having an erection. You may have pain or trouble ejaculating. You may get a blood clot in your arm or leg. The clot may travel to your heart or brain and cause life-threatening problems, such as a heart attack or stroke. Even with surgery, your cancer may not be completely removed, the cancer may spread, or it may come back.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your healthcare providers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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