Recovery time after prostate surgery

• The recovery time after prostate surgery depends mainly on the type of surgical technique used to perform the operation.
• The prostate intervention that allows the shortest recovery time is the urethral release operation with the Urolift system, which is performed on an outpatient basis.
• In any case, the recovery time after prostate surgery does not usually last longer than 4-5 weeks.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a very common pathology that affects a large proportion of men over the age of 50. It consists of an increase in the size of the prostate gland causing an obstruction in the urethral duct through which urinary evacuation takes place.

This obstruction leads to a number of characteristic symptoms, commonly referred to as "prostate disease", all related to urinary voiding. These include intermittent urination, inability to empty the bladder, the need to go to the toilet frequently and even urine infections.

All these symptoms of an enlarged prostate cause discomfort and a considerable deterioration in quality of life, with some patients needing a catheter to urinate. In these cases, the best option is to undergo prostate surgery to reduce the size of the prostate in order to alleviate the symptoms.

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Once the diagnosis and surgical recommendation have been made, one of the things that most patients are most concerned about and ask about is the recovery time after prostate surgery, whether for work or personal reasons.

In the case of prostate surgery, the recovery time varies depending on the surgical technique used to solve prostate problems as well as the characteristics of the patient and his or her pathology.

Below is a list of the different surgical techniques that are usually used to relieve the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Transurethral resection of the prostate is the most widely used surgical procedure in history to alleviate the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The results of this operation are undoubtedly long-lasting, and almost 70 years of use have proven its worth.

During this prostate operation, the surgeon introduces a mechanism called a resectoscope through a cystoscope placed in the urethra, in order to reach the prostate and remove the part of the tissue causing the obstruction and thus allow the correct flow of urine.

Despite the good long-term results, there are possible (rare) complications that have led to the development of new techniques for the treatment of enlarged prostates, such as the thulium laser or urethral release with the Urolift system.

In addition, this procedure continues to be used due to its high success rate. The recovery times for this technique are discussed below:

Recovery time in the hospital after TURP

Once the intervention is over and the patient is awake in the operating theatre, he/she will be taken to the resuscitation room where he/she will stay until his/her vital signs are fully restored.

Once in their room, the patient will remain in hospital for between 1 and 3 days. Depending on the patient's characteristics and the amount of prostate removed, the recovery time in hospital will vary within these limits.

During the recovery time in hospital, the patient will be catheterised to allow urine and any debris that may remain in the area after the surgery to drain out. 

During this time, it is possible that traces of blood may be passed along with the urine.

Recovery time at home after TURP

After discharge from hospital, the estimated recovery time following prostate surgery with transurethral resection is between 3 and 6 weeks. During this time, it is important that the patient rests but at the same time performs light movements such as walking to avoid losing physical fitness.

The diet during the recovery period after this prostate operation should be normal and healthy, with special emphasis on fibre to avoid constipation, which can delay the healing of the prostate. Of course, you should drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol or fizzy drinks, as they can irritate the urinary system.

In order to prevent infection, the patient may need to be treated with antibiotics during the recovery period.

With regard to resuming sexual activity after prostate surgery, it is recommended to wait at least 3 to 4 weeks.

The recovery time in hospital after prostate surgery with either thulium or holmium lasers does not usually exceed one day's stay, and the patient can leave the hospital on the same day of the operation.

This is possible because the use of the laser fibre to reduce the size of the prostate allows the non-vaporised tissue to be sealed, reducing intra- and postoperative bleeding to a minimum.

Once at home, the recovery time is based simply on 2 or 3 days without excessive physical exertion that could cause problems in the scarring of the prostate. After the first week of recovery, the patient will notice an immense improvement in urinary calibre and potency, completely eliminating the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic treatment during your recovery time to prevent infection. The dietary recommendations are the same as for any other prostate operation, a balanced diet with plenty of fibre and no alcoholic or fizzy drinks.

It is also recommended to wait 2 weeks before resuming sexual activity.

Recovery after prostate surgery with urethral release using the Urolift system is practically nil.

This innovative prostate operation provides relief from the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia without the need to destroy or remove tissue, without the need for general or regional anaesthesia and without the need for a hospital stay. 

It also provides immediate relief of symptoms and is the only prostate operation that allows full sexual function to be retained.

The recovery time in the hospital is limited to a couple of hours waiting for the sedation and local anaesthesia to wear off, and the patient is able to leave the hospital on their own just a few hours after the operation.

In this case, the recovery time until symptoms improve is minimal, as the patient improves immediately after the intervention.

In any case, it is important to mention that the maximum improvement is usually achieved after two weeks of recovery time, at which time the patient can resume sexual relations.

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