How effective is prostate removal surgery for prostate cancer?

A radical prostatectomy removes the prostate and usually the seminal vesicles; nearby lymph nodes may also be assessed or removed. The operation aims to remove cancer that is confined to, or suitable for treatment around, the prostate. The pathology report then shows the tumour grade, edges of the removed tissue, and whether cancer is present outside the prostate or in sampled nodes. These findings help estimate the likelihood of remaining disease and whether additional monitoring, radiotherapy, or hormone treatment should be discussed. Surgery cannot remove cancer that is outside the treated area unless that disease is addressed separately.

Ask the urology team how the proposed approach fits your scan findings, prostate cancer grade, general health, and priorities. Discuss urinary leakage, erection changes, fertility, and the possibility of needing additional treatment. After surgery, attend catheter and wound reviews and have prostate-specific antigen tests when scheduled. Pelvic-floor exercises can support urinary recovery when taught by the care team. Report medicines, fever, wound problems, worsening pain, or difficulty passing urine rather than waiting for a routine visit.

Seek prompt medical advice for fever, heavy bleeding, increasing wound redness, severe abdominal pain, a blocked catheter, or inability to pass urine. Get urgent help for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or a painful swollen leg. A rising prostate-specific antigen after surgery should be discussed with the treating team because it may change the follow-up plan, even when you feel well.

Is my cancer confined to the prostate on current imaging? Will lymph nodes be assessed? What urinary and sexual changes should I prepare for? When will pathology and the first prostate-specific antigen result be reviewed? If the result is not as hoped, which treatments could follow?