Robotic Prostatectomy Surgical Instructions

Robotic Radical Prostatectomy Pre-Operative Instructions

• Report to the Pre-Operative Services Unit two hours before your scheduled surgery time.
• Contact your physician’s office well in advance so you have time to complete all necessary pre-testing.
• Depending on your needs, pre-testing may include a urinalysis, urine culture, chest x-ray, EKG, and other diagnostic tests.
• Call your physician’s office at least five days before your surgery date to confirm that your medical clearance has been faxed to us. This prevents rescheduling or delays.
• If you need disability forms completed, fax all necessary documents to 1-646-692-6744 at least 2 to 3 weeks before your surgery date to avoid processing delays.

Preparing for Prostate Surgery: 10 Days Before Your Surgery

Medications to Avoid

• Stop taking aspirin products and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, and Aleve, as well as vitamin E and any vitamins or herbal supplements, 10 days before surgery. If you are unsure about a medication, call the doctor who prescribed it.
• If you take Coumadin or Plavix, you must stop taking them 10 days before surgery.

Medications You May Take

• If you take medication for high blood pressure, thyroid problems, or asthma, you may take it the morning of surgery with a small sip of water. Coffee, tea, and juice are not permitted.
• If you are diabetic and take oral diabetes medication, do not take it the morning of surgery.
• If you take insulin, use only half your normal dose the morning of surgery.

Preparing for Prostate Surgery: The Day Before Your Surgery

• Follow a clear liquid diet and avoid all solid foods. Clear liquids include broth, Jell-O, and popsicles. A simple rule: if you can’t see through it, you probably can’t have it.
• Drink one bottle of Magnesium Citrate at approximately 3:00 to 4:00 pm. It is available over the counter at your local pharmacy.
• After midnight, do not eat or drink anything. Do not have breakfast or anything to drink the morning of surgery.
• If your surgery is scheduled for 3:00 or 4:00 pm, you may eat until noon the day before surgery, then begin clear liquids for the rest of the day.

Clear Liquid Diet Before Prostate Surgery

To prevent dehydration and weakness, maintain adequate fluid and calorie intake on your clear liquid day. Drink at least 8 to 10 eight-ounce servings of clear liquids over 24 hours, both at your normal mealtimes and between meals. Good choices include:

• Clear broth
• Jell-O and flavored ices
• Clear fruit juices such as apple or white grape
• Ginger ale, seltzer, and Sprite
• Gatorade

What to Expect After Surgery

Most patients stay one night in the hospital after robotic prostatectomy. You will go home with a urinary catheter, which is typically removed at a follow-up visit at our Madison Avenue office. Walking soon after surgery is encouraged to support circulation and recovery. Your care team will review your specific post-operative instructions, activity limits, and follow-up schedule before discharge.

Learn more about the procedure on our SMART Surgery technique page, and read about recovery of continence after prostate cancer surgery. Patients traveling from abroad should also review our international patient care information.

Questions Before Your Surgery?

If anything in these instructions is unclear, or if you are unsure whether a medication should be stopped, call Prostate Cancer 911 at (212) 365-5000. It is always better to ask ahead of time than to risk a delay on the day of surgery.

Related Care and Resources at Prostate Cancer 911

• Prostate cancer treatment
• MRI fusion biopsy
• Elevated PSA evaluation
• Bladder cancer treatment
• Enlarged prostate treatment
• Urinary issues
• Erectile dysfunction treatment
• Urologic oncology

Surgical Instructions FAQs