Driving and insurance post operation

User

Posted 30 Nov 2022 at 21:46

I had a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy on 17 November.

Catheter removed today and going well,

I have called my car insurance company AA today and they have no real opinion about when I can drive again, saying this is a medical judgment. I have seen reference to 6 weeks post op, but this is not a hard and fast rule.

Our car is an automatic and I think I would be fine driving short journeys next week.

Thoughts / experiences / guidance, please.

David

User

Posted 01 Dec 2022 at 07:22

The DVLA rules are that you can drive after surgery when you're safely able to perform an emergency stop. In the absence of specific medical advice it's a personal decision to make. I was making short trips in the car for shopping four weeks after similar surgery.

Best wishes,

Chris

User

Posted 01 Dec 2022 at 08:34

If you have been given a leaflet from the hospital that says 'do not drive for 4 weeks' then you will not be insured if you drive earlier than that. If your surgeon advised you not to drive until the post-op appointment, you are not insured before that. If your hospital website says 'abdominal surgery - do not drive for 2 weeks' you are not insured before that.

Vast majority of hospitals have something on thrir website saying 2 weeks. If the hospital hasn't published a stance and the surgeon hasn't advised you not to drive, you should be fine.

My husband's insurer wanted written confirmation from the surgeon, which the surgeon refused to provide, so he couldn't drive until 12 weeks post-op.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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Driving and insurance post operation

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