Prostatectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the prostate gland. The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It’s located in the pelvis, below the bladder. It surrounds the hollow tube called the urethra that carries urine from the bladder to the penis.

Prostatectomy can treat certain conditions that affect the prostate. It’s most commonly used as a treatment for prostate cancer.

Prostatectomy can be done in various ways, depending on the condition involved. For instance, sometimes surgery can be done through small cuts, also called incisions. This is known as minimally invasive surgery. If you get this type, your surgeon may even control a robotic device to help operate. Other times, surgery needs to be done through one larger cut. This is called traditional open surgery.

Most often, prostatectomy is done to treat cancer that likely hasn’t spread beyond the prostate gland. The entire prostate and some tissue around it are removed. This surgery is called radical prostatectomy. During surgery, any nearby lymph nodes that look unusual also may be removed and checked for cancer. Radical prostatectomy may be used alone, or along with radiation or hormone therapy.

A surgeon can do a radical prostatectomy using different techniques, including:

Prostatectomy can treat health conditions other than cancer. For these conditions, often part of the prostate is removed. This is called a simple prostatectomy. It can be a treatment choice for some people with serious urinary symptoms and very enlarged prostate glands. An enlarged prostate is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Simple prostatectomy often is done as minimally invasive surgery with robotic assistance. It’s not often done as open surgery anymore.

Simple prostatectomy to treat BPH removes just the part of the prostate that’s blocking the flow of urine. The surgery eases urinary symptoms and complications resulting from blocked urine flow, including:

Your surgical team talks with you about the pros and cons of each technique. You also talk about your preferences. Together, you and your surgical team decide which approach is best for you.

Radical prostatectomy risks

Any surgery comes with risks. Risks of radical prostatectomy include:

Simple prostatectomy risks

Simple prostatectomy works well at easing urinary symptoms. But it has a higher risk of complications and a longer recovery time than some other enlarged prostate treatments. These treatments include transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), laser PVP surgery and holmium laser prostate surgery (HoLEP).

Risks of simple prostatectomy include:

Before surgery, your surgeon may do a test called cystoscopy that uses a device called a scope to look inside your urethra and bladder. Cystoscopy lets your surgeon check the size of your prostate and examine your urinary system. Your surgeon also may want to do other tests. These include blood tests or tests that measure your prostate and measure urine flow.

Follow your surgery team’s instructions on what to do before your treatment.

Food and medications

Talk with your surgery care team about:

Clothing and personal items

Plan to avoid wearing these items into surgery:

Arrangements after surgery

Ask your surgeon how long you’ll be in the hospital. You’ll want to arrange in advance for a ride home. You won’t be able to drive yourself right after surgery.

Activity restrictions

You may not be able to work or do strenuous activities for weeks after surgery. Ask your surgeon how much recovery time you may need.

Before the procedure

Most often, prostatectomy is done using medicine to prevent pain and put you in a sleep-like state. This is called general anesthesia. Your surgeon also may give you an antibiotic right before surgery to help prevent infection with germs.

During the procedure

After the procedure

After surgery you should expect that:

Make sure you understand the self-care measures you need to take after surgery. Also understand any restrictions you need to follow, such as limits on driving or lifting heavy things:

Compared with an open prostatectomy, robot-assisted prostatectomy can result in:

You typically can return to your usual activities with minor limits around four weeks after surgery.

Simple prostatectomy provides long-term relief of urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate. It’s the most invasive procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, but serious complications are rare. Most people who have the surgery don’t need any follow-up treatment for their BPH.

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