What to expect

Before the operation

1. Decision and consent

   A full consultation in the rooms with imaging, pathology and biochemistry on the table. We discuss the diagnosis, the recommended operation, the alternatives, and the risks before any surgery is booked.

2. Pre-admission

   A separate pre-admission appointment with the hospital: anaesthetic assessment, blood tests, ECG if needed, and a review of your medications. You may be asked to stop anticoagulants or certain other drugs before surgery.

3. Optimisation

   Smoking cessation, blood pressure control, glycaemic control, and any specific preparation your condition requires (for example, alpha blockade for phaeochromocytoma).

4. Fasting and admission

   Usually fasting from midnight the night before. Admission is typically on the morning of surgery; some operations need an earlier admission.

The day of surgery

1. Theatre preparation

   You meet the anaesthetic team, have IV access placed and receive antibiotic and venous-thromboembolism prophylaxis. General anaesthetic is standard for robotic urological operations.

2. The operation

   Positioning, port placement, docking the robot, and the operation itself. Duration varies with the operation; simple procedures are 2-3 hours, a complex cystectomy with intracorporeal diversion can be 6-8 hours.

3. Recovery

   Wake up in the recovery area and transfer to the ward once stable. Pain is managed with regular paracetamol, NSAIDs where safe, and opioid on request.

Hospital stay

1. Day 1

   Out of bed and walking, usually with catheter and drain in place. Light diet as tolerated. IV fluids wean off.

2. Day 2-3 (most operations)

   Drain out, catheter management depends on the operation. Discharge when mobilising independently, eating, tolerating oral pain relief, and bowels working.

3. Longer stays

   Radical cystectomy and other larger operations require 7-10 nights with structured enhanced-recovery pathways.

First weeks at home

1. Mobility

   Walk daily. Avoid heavy lifting (more than about 5 kg) for six weeks. No abdominal straining.

2. Catheter care (if applicable)

   Your specific catheter or stent plan will be documented at discharge. Do not remove catheters at home unless instructed.

3. Bowels and diet

   Opioids and anaesthesia slow the bowel. Mild laxatives and adequate fluids help early.

4. Driving and work

   Driving is usually safe from 2-3 weeks when you can do an emergency stop comfortably. Return to desk-based work varies from one week (smaller operations) to six weeks (cystectomy).

Follow up

1. Two to four weeks

   Post-operative review, usually with the final histology if cancer surgery.

2. Three months

   Functional check: continence after prostatectomy or cystectomy, renogram after pyeloplasty, hormone testing after adrenalectomy, PSA after prostate cancer surgery.

3. Long term

   Ongoing surveillance to a schedule determined by the underlying disease. Every procedure page lists the usual cadence.

When to seek help sooner

• Fever > 38°C or shaking chills.
• Increasing abdominal pain or distension.
• New redness, swelling or discharge from a port site.
• New calf swelling or shortness of breath.
• Blocked catheter or heavy haematuria through the catheter.
• Inability to pass urine after catheter removal.