So I am up for the old slice and dice ( RALP ) on the 17th Aug and........

Would like to know from all of you who have had it done, what is the quickest turn around to get back to work?

I work retail, constantly on my feet, unload trucks and merchandise etc etc  large volume department store.

Of course we shall assume the procedure goes according to plan

I just reviewed some notes that I wrote after my DaVinci surgery five years ago.

At four weeks I felt good enough to resume my part-time job, which required being on my feet and some light lifting, but it was NOT an 8-hour job, and I could sit for a break at frequent intervals.

At two months, I was able to go to work without a pad.

You're going to have some important restrictions regarding lifting. You don't want to tear any of those dozens of micro sutures that were used to put your parts back together. Listen to your doc, and listen to your body, and don't rush things. We're all different, and we all heal differently, so there's really no way to predict how quickly you'll be ready to resume your particular job.

I was able to go back(half day) to desk job at 16-18 days. No lifting at that point. There may be athletes who could do more sooner. Not me. Definition of athlete: can walk more than from couch to refrigerator without getting winded.

It's typical to see around 3 weeks, but for physical jobs, 6 is prudent. Lets things heal up well. My brother, who has a physical job at a car wash needed 4 weeks off before he was back on shift.

Most docs say no heavy lifting for 6 weeks.
Andrew

I retired early so did not have to go back to work, but I was back to normal with my 20 to 25 miles a week jogging by the fourth week. I was a little slower. I felt well enough to return to all normal activities except for lifting. That took about two months where I could lift without any leakage.

Listen to your body and do what you are capable of doing. It does take some time, I found I would tire more easily and needed to rest more. After about three months, I felt I was back to my pre-surgery level.

Best of luck.

Had robotic RP on Wednesday 2/11/15. Went home Thursday. Catheter came out the Friday 9 days after the operation. Went back to work the following Monday (11 days after op). In an office so no real physical work. That was my pre op game plan and Doc was OK with the plan.

The weather was bitter cold around that time of op so I didn't do as much walking as I'd hoped until catheter came out. Didn't like the way the bag got cold. Walked around the house and work as much as possible. Did a lot of up and down stairs. Started back to gym at 5 weeks after the operation just to go through the motions, almost no weight, no core exercises. At 6 weeks started gradually adding weight not pushing, no hard straining. Even easier on core or ab exercises. Wasn't sure if leakage would by an issue so wore light pad in brief under gym shorts for about three weeks without issue so stopped. By June was pretty much back to normal but still not pushing to extreme. Now strength seems almost at 100% except for core muscles and abs.

Dealing with the catheter was the biggest annoyance. The instructions about avoiding infection had me a little anal about putting neosporin at the catheter entrance (maybe penal is the appropriate word). Time did pass pretty quick though. Didn't need any pain meds but did take two Oxys before going to bed just to get knocked out and not toss and turn with the catheter in my sleep. A couple of months after the catheter was out asked my wife to change the fabric softener she used because the smell of it on the towels in the bathroom reminded me of the catheter. Go figure.

Post Edited (JoeInBucks) : 8/9/2015 6:08:03 PM (GMT-6)

Went back to work at 3 weeks post-op, could have gone back in 2 weeks but business was slow so I took an extra week. I used sick pay instead of vacation pay. I am in retail also, on my feet 7 hours of an 8 hour day. Leaked like crazy between 2:00 - 4:00 every afternoon when my body tired.

As others said, you will have lifting restrictions so you will need a letter from your doctor for "light duty work".

Good luck and we'll see you on the other side!

Bill from Florida

Quit screwing around here and Empty That Prostate! Often!

Consider it a part of rehab. and therapy.

Here I'll help you out. A lot of sex before surgery is Good For Men's Prostate Health. GFMPH!
Feel free to use this post if any justification is needed.

With a sad face say: "I read that a lot of sex before surgery is good for men's prostate health." You can't be refused.

Get busy!

Good luck!
Jeff

All the best with your surgery and recovery. Others have addressed your question well. Take it slow and easy. Follow your doctor's advice.