What is robotic prostatectomy?
Robotic prostatectomy, also known as robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, is a minimally invasive operation to remove the prostate gland and treat prostate cancer.
The procedure is most commonly recommended for men with localised prostate cancer, where the cancer has not spread to distant parts of the body. In selected cases, surgery may also be considered for locally advanced prostate cancer.
Unlike traditional open surgery, robotic prostatectomy is performed through several small incisions in the abdomen. Your surgeon controls specialised robotic instruments to carefully remove the prostate, usually together with the seminal vesicles, while aiming to preserve surrounding nerves and tissues wherever it is safe to do so.
At St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, robotic prostatectomy is performed using the da Vinci Xi surgical system, providing our surgeons with advanced visualisation and precise instrument control during surgery.
Robotic prostatectomy using the da Vinci Xi surgical system
The da Vinci Xi is an advanced robotic-assisted surgical system designed to support surgeons in performing complex, minimally invasive procedures.
During robotic prostatectomy, your surgeon operates from a specialised console, controlling miniature surgical instruments through small incisions. The system provides a highly magnified, three-dimensional view of the surgical area, helping your surgeon work around the delicate structures surrounding the prostate.
The da Vinci Xi offers several advanced capabilities:
- High-definition 3D vision: A magnified view of the surgical area helps your surgeon identify important anatomical structures.
- Precise instrument control: Specialised instruments provide a wide range of movement, allowing delicate surgical manoeuvres within confined spaces.
- Enhanced dexterity: Articulating instruments allow surgeons to operate at angles that can be difficult to achieve with conventional instruments.
- Minimally invasive approach: Surgery is performed through small incisions rather than a larger abdominal incision.
The robotic system does not operate independently. Every movement is controlled by your surgeon, combining their clinical expertise with advanced surgical technology.
Consultants offering robotic prostatectomy in London
What are the benefits of robotic prostatectomy?
Robotic-assisted surgery offers several potential advantages compared with traditional open prostatectomy.
These may include:
- Smaller incisions and less visible scarring
- Reduced blood loss during surgery
- Less postoperative discomfort
- A shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery and return to everyday activities
- Greater precision when operating around delicate nerves and tissues
The benefits and recovery time vary between patients. Your consultant will explain the potential advantages and risks of robotic surgery in relation to your individual diagnosis.
Why choose us for robotic prostatectomy?
At St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, we combine experienced consultant-led urological care with advanced robotic surgical technology in our private hospital in St John’s Wood, London.
Patients benefit from:
- Advanced robotic technology: Surgery using the da Vinci Xi surgical system.
- Experienced consultant surgeons: Specialist urologists with expertise in prostate cancer and robotic-assisted surgery.
- Minimally invasive treatment: Robotic techniques designed to support precise surgery through small incisions.
- Personalised treatment: Care tailored to your diagnosis, individual circumstances and treatment preferences.
- Specialist nursing care: Dedicated support during your hospital stay and recovery.
- Coordinated aftercare: Follow-up appointments, PSA monitoring and support with recovery following surgery.
Our team will guide you through every stage of your treatment, from your initial consultation and preoperative assessment through to surgery, recovery and ongoing follow-up.
What happens during robotic prostatectomy?
Robotic prostatectomy is performed under general anaesthetic, meaning you will be asleep throughout the operation.
Your surgeon makes several small incisions in the abdomen to introduce a camera and specialised surgical instruments. Using the da Vinci Xi system, they carefully separate the prostate from the surrounding tissues before removing it.
The seminal vesicles are also removed, and nearby lymph nodes may be removed if clinically indicated. Your surgeon then reconnects the bladder to the urethra to restore the pathway for urine to leave the body.
The operation typically takes around two to four hours, although this varies depending on the complexity of the procedure.
A urinary catheter is used after surgery to allow the connection between the bladder and urethra to heal.
Frequently asked questions about robotic prostatectomy
Traditional open prostatectomy involves removing the prostate through a larger abdominal incision. Robotic prostatectomy is performed through several smaller incisions using specialised instruments controlled by your surgeon.
Robotic surgery may offer benefits including reduced blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and faster early recovery, although long-term outcomes depend on several factors, including your cancer and the surgeon’s experience.
Robotic prostatectomy may be recommended for men diagnosed with prostate cancer when surgery is considered an appropriate treatment option.
Your suitability will depend on several factors, including:
- The stage and grade of your prostate cancer
- Your PSA level and diagnostic imaging results
- Whether the cancer is confined to the prostate or has spread locally
- Your general health and suitability for surgery
- Your individual treatment preferences
Not everyone diagnosed with prostate cancer will require surgery. Depending on your circumstances, alternatives may include active surveillance, radiotherapy or other treatments.
Your consultant urologist will discuss the available options and help you make an informed decision about your care.
As with any major operation, robotic prostatectomy carries potential risks and side effects.
These include bleeding, infection, blood clots and complications associated with anaesthesia. Changes to urinary control and erectile function are also important considerations following prostate removal.
Some patients experience urinary leakage after their catheter is removed, which often improves over time. Erectile difficulties may also occur, even when nerve-sparing techniques are used.
Because the prostate and seminal vesicles are removed, ejaculation will no longer produce semen, and natural fertility is lost following surgery.
Your consultant will discuss these risks with you before surgery, including the steps that may be taken to support urinary continence and sexual function during recovery.
No. The da Vinci Xi surgical system is controlled entirely by your surgeon. It does not make independent decisions or perform the operation automatically.
The procedure typically takes around two to four hours, although this can vary depending on the complexity of the surgery and whether additional procedures, such as lymph node removal, are required.
Some urinary leakage is common following prostatectomy, particularly after the catheter is removed. Urinary control often improves over the following weeks and months, although some patients experience longer-term difficulties. Pelvic floor exercises and specialist support can help with recovery.
Erectile difficulties are a recognised side effect of prostatectomy. Where appropriate, nerve-sparing techniques may help preserve erectile function, but recovery depends on factors including age, preoperative erectile function and whether the nerves can be safely preserved.
Robotic prostatectomy is a treatment intended to remove prostate cancer and can be curative for some patients. However, the outcome depends on the stage and characteristics of the cancer. Some patients may require further treatment after surgery.
The removed prostate is examined in a laboratory to assess the cancer and surgical margins. Your consultant will discuss the results with you and arrange regular PSA blood tests to monitor your progress following surgery.
Medically reviewed by Mr Ashwin Sridhar - FRCS (Urology), RCSEd, PGDME, MSc DIC, MBBS on 29/10/2026