Sports after a Robotic Radical Prostatectomy

I have heard that you need 6 weeks to recover before starting any rigoruus exercise

How long would one need to wait before Alpine skiing?

I am an Expert skier with surgery planned and a ski trippped planned with the family within about 4 weeks Post Op.

Could I ski the easy runs and take it easy ... or is it not recommended

If I cannot ski what about snowshoeing? or mountan biking on easy trails?

I don't think your surgeon would clear you for skiing that soon after surgery.  I played golf that soon, 18 holes in a cart, but skiing would put much more stress on your affected parts.  You'll have dozens of delicate sutures, including the very import anastamosis rejoining the urethra.  I just don't think it would be worth the risk.  That's my unprofessional opinion, but based on personal experience. 

I asked my doctor and he said "no restrictions" at 4 weeks. I played in a hockey game exactly 4 weeks to the day of my RALP.

Consult your doc before doing anything.

Good luck!

It's so hard to say before hand. Really depends on how you respond to surgery. IF there are no complications and you're on schedule with recovery you might risk the easy runs. I'd say be flexible with your planning and see how you're doing.

You might end up at the ski lodge hanging by the fire.

All the best,
Andrew

One thing to think about is how they say not to lift more than 10 pounds for the first month. That is the gallon of milk referred to up above by one of us. If you cannot lift more than a gallon of milk for the first 4 weeks, I would tend to think that you might be expecting to do too much by jumping a pair of skis just 2 weeks further out from the surgery.

When I got home from my surgery (at Mayo Clinic, then returning to Northwest Indiana), it was mid November and the leaves were coming down. This was within the first month of my surgery and I was feeling guilty at not being able to do my leaves.

I knew I could not use my leaf blower because it is gasoline powered & on the heavy side. So I called Mayo and asked if I could just drag my rake out there and rake slow & easy. Without hesitation, the doctor said, "NO."

Any kind of torque you do so soon after surgery might harm or undo the doctor's handiwork and a trip to the ER would be the result. This is what he told me.

So, if you extrapolate this to a 6 week post-op attempt to ski, you might be taking a chance. Could be that it IS okay to do this -- but be sure to take the others' advice and ASK YOUR SURGEON. Your surgeon would know best what you should be able to do and not do.

So check with your doctor & follow the advice you receive.

Good luck!
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1.
Semi-erections now happening 14 months post-op & getting stronger.

I paid my Doctor to tall my wife that I wasn't allowed to do the dishes for 12 weeks. LOL, seriously though, I am in the camp that 6 weeks may be too early. Ask your surgeon, but alsolisten to your body.

My URO cleared me to do anything I wanted after 3 weeks. However 4 weeks after my RP I was at the lake with friends and did not have the strength to pull my self out of the water and get back into the boat in the middle of the lake. No harm was done but it took me at least 2 months to get my full pre-surgery strength back.

Terry

Dogbot,

That vision of leaking and wearing a pee pad while in sub freezing weather is not a pleasant one.   Can we say "frost balls"

I had posted earlier that 6 weeks might be a bit too soon to try & ski. However, in rereading this thread it suddenly dawned on me that my doctor said I could resume jogging at 6 weeks. I jog for one full hour 7 days a week.

I felt it better to play it safe & I added a couple weeks to that and waited exactly 2 months before jogging again. Due to my conditioning before the surgery, I felt as if I had never stopped jogging for those 2 months aside from a bit of muscular soreness in my legs, which was no big deal.

So perhaps you CAN try & ski at 6 weeks & my original thoughts were wrong. So, if your doctor says it is okay, then you should have no problems. I would still tend to pace myself, though, if I were you just to play it safe.

Happy skiing!
Chuck

Tom,
You may feel like it in 4 weeks but as others have said, you have had major surgery, you need to take time to heal.
Dr. Patel's office wouldn't let me push a small lawn mower for 6 weeks after my DaVinci. I believe he is your surgeon. Talk to him before you make plans.

Good luck with your surgery, he does great work.

Bill

I went back to work after two weeks and I have a desk job. I swung a golf club after 4 weeks lightly but it took about six weeks for the biggest cut to heal on my tummy because it popped open almost as soon as the staples were out...Like others say listen to your surgeon but skiing probably is not good that soon after I'm guessing...


good luck though...on all of it.