Robotic Surgery offered me a potential cure
My consultant recommended that I have the Robotic Surgery (Robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy) to remove the entire prostate due to the fact that my cancer was aggressive (Gleeson 8) but was contained within the prostate. This also meant that it would be non-nerve sparing and that I would also need a lymph node dissection. By now I had time to review all of my options and the consequences, none of which sounded very appealing such as; erectile problems, urinary control and apparent shortening of the penis due to the removal of the prostate gland, but they were obviously more appealing than the more final alternative. I therefore agreed that the Robotic Surgery would be my best choice as it offered me a potential cure.
I arrived at the City Hospital as arranged for my Robotic Surgery using the ‘da Vinci Surgery Machine’ to remove my prostate, seminal vesicles and a lymph node dissection. The whole event was over very quickly from my perspective as after a brief meeting with the surgeon and the anaesthetist, I was changed into a gown and sitting in the pre-op room; the next thing I can remember is waking up in the recovery room talking to my wife on the telephone then shortly after I was on the ward and eating some lunch. There was no pain but just some minor discomfort as I had six incisions in my abdomen that were sealed with glue; a lymph fluid drain coming out of the right side of my abdomen which was removed prior to being discharged from hospital and a catheter fitted that would be removed after 10 days. The catheter was a bit awkward as there was also a bag attached to my leg that needed to be emptied frequently. I remained in hospital for two nights and can say that the NHS hospital staff are amazing and I was very well looked after.
Scrotal / Penile Swelling
This actually sound like a joke were a guy with scrotal / penile swelling says to the nurse “Can you do something about the pain but leave the swelling” but here I was five days after surgery when I woke to find that my scrotum had swelled to the size of a small football and by lunch time my penis had also swollen. There was no pain but it was just uncomfortable. I was obviously a bit worried, so I called the hospital contact number that I had been given for some advice. I was told that was not abnormal and is not a cause for serious concern but they asked me to come back into the hospital to be checked out by a doctor. I was told by the doctor that the post-operative lymph fluid that was being slowly absorbed by my body had followed the force of gravity and ended up in my scrotum but should return to normal after a week or so. I left the hospital the same day with a scrotal support and also found that wearing supportive underwear (briefs, not boxer shorts) also helped. The swelling went down after a week.
Catheter removal and incontinence
The catheter was removed after 10 days during a brief visit back to the Nottingham City hospital. The removal is not painful and was over in about 2 seconds. I was then asked to drink some water and would be discharged when I had urinated into a measuring cup three times. I was informed previously that I would be incontinent after the operation but I felt my bladder fill up and I produced my first urine sample into the measuring cup and everything felt normal as did the second sample. The third sample was very different however, as when I felt my bladder begin to fill, I had no ability to control the flow and just made it to the toilet to fill up the measuring cup. Luckily I had come prepared with some absorbent pads which saved any embarrassing wet patches. I can only describe the incontinence as being like a dripping tap that is completely out of my control. I am doing my pelvic floor exercises religiously but after the first week I was using about five absorbent pads per day and after the second about four per day and am now currently on 2 per day after 1 month. I have a visit to the incontinence nurse to help improve my situation. I must admit that the incontinence is getting better as each day passes.