Week one is the catheter week. Your job is simple. Walk. Rest. Drink water. Here is what to do, what to skip, and what to have ready before the catheter comes out.
You will go home with a catheter. Most men keep it for seven to fourteen days. It is uncomfortable and it is annoying. It is also keeping the surgical site still while the first healing happens.
Your job is simple. Walk. Rest. Stay hydrated. Do not try to be tough about it.
Walk ten to fifteen minutes, two or three times a day. Slow is fine. It keeps your body moving and helps prevent blood clots.
Drink enough water that your urine is light yellow.
Sleep however you are comfortable. On your back with a pillow under your knees works well for most men.
Keep the catheter bag below the level of your bladder at all times.
Do not lift anything heavier than ten pounds. No groceries, no kids, no laundry baskets.
Do not start kegels yet. The tissues need to heal first. Wait until the catheter is out and your doctor clears you.
Do not strain on the toilet. Use the stool softener your surgical team recommends.
Do not sit for long stretches. Get up every thirty to forty-five minutes.
Do not compare your recovery to anyone else's. The man on the forum who was dry in three days is an outlier.
Male incontinence guards. Not women's pads. They are shaped differently and catch leaks where men actually leak.
Pull-up style underwear for the first heavy days.
A waterproof mattress protector.
Have all of it before the catheter comes out. You will go through several pads a day at first.
This is the day most men dread. Most men leak at first, and some leak a lot. It is expected.
The first time you stand up and feel it, it is jarring. Take a breath. This is the starting line, not the finish.
How much you leak that first day says very little about where you end up.
You are supposed to feel grateful. And you do. You may also feel frustrated, embarrassed, and angry that your body will not cooperate. Both are true at once.
Talk to someone. Your partner, a friend, a support group. The men who recover best are usually the ones who do not try to do it alone.
Once the catheter is out and your doctor clears you, the pelvic floor work begins. It starts gently: finding the muscle, short holds, a few times a day.
Follow your discharge instructions, and call your surgical team about severe pain, fever, or unexpected bleeding.
How to Stop Leaking After Prostate Surgery
Kegel Exercises After Prostate Surgery: How to Do Them Right
Exercises to Do Before Prostate Surgery
When Can You Exercise After Prostate Surgery? Walking, Lifting, Golf, Running
Recovery After Prostate Surgery: A Week-by-Week Guide
Pads for Men After Prostate Surgery: What to Buy and How to Leave the House
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy After Prostate Surgery: Do You Need It?
Kegel Exercises for Men: How to Do Them Right
Dr. Meg Cochran is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation, and treats men after prostate surgery through Where You Are Physical Therapy in Oxford, Mississippi.
This article is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for in-person care. Follow your surgical team's instructions. If you have urgent symptoms including severe pain, fever, unexpected bleeding, or a sudden change in function, contact your healthcare provider.
The first week after prostate surgery, written out step by step by Dr. Meg. What to do with the catheter in. What to skip. What to have in the house. Enter your email and it opens right away.
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Educational content. Not medical advice.
The Prostate Recovery Quick Start is Dr. Meg showing you the first exercises on video, from before surgery through week 4, with the two sheets to print. Open it on any phone, tablet, or computer, from anywhere. It is educational, not physical therapy.
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