Da Vinci robot assisted prostatectomy

[Dennis Hilton]

Before I came to operation I looked at three websites, which gave me
a good idea about the impending procedure. I decided not to read
other people's accounts of their experiences as I thought they might
be unsettling!
My first surprise was the drastic effectiveness of the laxative
Citramag, which resulted in a poor preoperative night passing
diarrhoea most of the time. I was admitted early morning for
operation at 8am. The anaesthetist saw me and warned me my face would
probably be swollen after being angled head down for the operation and
my wife later confirmed this. The surgeon came to see me and I wished
him (and, under my breath, myself) good luck. The induction of
anaesthesia was rapid.....
I came round to see the surgeon's blurred face and hear him say "all
went well". Back in the ward I felt pretty comfortable - but you
rapidly learn not to cough and to dread a sneeze (although I could do
both painlessly a week later). I had no nausea, was able to drink
plenty (I felt very dehydrated) and the catheter was comfortable.
Towards evening a discomfort developed in my right shoulder tip and
slowly became a pain. It was exacerbated if I turned from my left
side onto my back and turning further onto my right side made it
excruciating. The severity of the pain was my second surprise. I
knew it was caused by diaphragmatic irritation from the CO2 gas and
was not serious but I required quite strong painkillers to get through
the night and I had to remain lying on my left side.
Early next morning the surgeon visited me and I told him of the pain.
He prescribed a Voltarol suppository and within 15 minutes the pain
had subsided to a slight ache and gradually disappeared. Magic!
My third surprise was that no less than 24 people cared for me over my
48 hour admission! They were three doctors, two sisters, eight day
nurses, four night nurses, two porters, one cleaner, one waiter, two
waitresses and a paper boy! I asked for everybody's name and some
thought I might sue them but I reassured them this would not be so! I
had no complaint about their care of me, and sister, who removed my
drain on the second day (and my catheter and clips on the 11th day)
was so skilful I only had fleeting discomfort during the procedures.
My bell was always responded to rapidly.
I was pronounced fit for discharge 48 hours after the operation. My
fourth surprise, which I found quite embarrassing, was discovering
that I couldn't do up my trousers at the waist - indeed I could only
do up half my zip! Patients need to be told to bring in trousers with
an elastic waist to accommodate the increase in girth, which is due to
the retained CO2 gas, gas in the gut and abdominal wall swelling round
the six small wounds. I became severely bruised from hip to hip
across the lower abdomen and into the penis and scrotum.

[Dennis Hilton]

At home I felt remarkably well: I got up late morning and went to bed
early evening. My fifth surprise was to pass blood stained urine for
14 days and blood round the catheter, when I opened my bowels, for the
11 days it was in situ. I carried out preoperative perineal exercises
for some weeks before the operation and had further advice later from
a physiotherapist. This enabled me to regain pretty good control of
my bladder three weeks after the operation. Starting is easy, my
stream is good but finishing is in dribs and drabs. I need to wear a
pad as standing up and walking about for any length of time is likely
to cause a slight escape of urine. I can go four to five hours
without passing urine during the day but I still get up at night
twice, four weeks after the operation. The pilot light of sex has yet
to be lit but it's early days? I was driving a car two and a half
weeks after the operation.
Dennis Hilton.