Does a urologist perform prostate removal surgery?

A urologist treats diseases of the urinary tract and male reproductive system. In cancer care, radical prostatectomy removes the prostate and seminal vesicles; nearby lymph nodes may also be assessed or removed in selected situations. The surgical approach may be open or minimally invasive, depending on the clinical plan and available expertise.

Surgery is only one possible management approach. The decision takes account of the diagnosis, where the disease is located, other health conditions, urinary function, and personal priorities. A multidisciplinary team may include pathology, radiology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology specialists alongside the urologist.

Take your biopsy and imaging reports, medication list, allergy details, and a summary of previous operations to the appointment. Describe existing urinary leakage, difficulty passing urine, bowel symptoms, erections, and any medicines that affect bleeding. These details help the surgeon discuss expected changes and recovery needs.

Request instructions on catheter care, pelvic floor exercises, fasting, medicine changes, activity limits, and follow-up. Do not discontinue prescribed treatment on your own. It can help to write down which outcomes matter most to you, including bladder control, sexual function, work responsibilities, and caregiving commitments.

After prostatectomy, seek urgent care for chest pain, breathlessness, collapse, heavy bleeding, a painful swollen leg, severe abdominal or pelvic pain, or a catheter that stops draining while the bladder feels full. Fever accompanied by shaking chills or marked weakness also needs prompt assessment.

Contact the urology team for increasing wound redness, swelling, discharge, urine leaking around the catheter, new cloudy or foul-smelling urine, or pain that is not controlled by the advised medicines. Keep the catheter in place and follow the team's instructions rather than trying to remove or reposition it yourself.

Ask what tissue the surgeon intends to remove, whether lymph nodes are part of the plan, and which findings might alter the operation. Discuss the expected catheter period, continence support, possible changes in erections and orgasm, pathology follow-up, alternatives to surgery, and the contact route for problems at home.