Robotic prostatectomy in Orange County:
prostate cancer, treated with precision
When prostate cancer needs treatment, robotic-assisted surgery offers a precise, nerve-sparing approach through small incisions, with a faster recovery. Every plan is tailored to you, from active surveillance to definitive treatment.
Medically reviewed by Hari Sawkar, MD, board-certified urologist · Updated September 2026
A diagnosis is not a single path
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, and also one of the most treatable. Many cases are slow-growing and do not need immediate surgery. The right answer depends on the cancer, your health, and what matters to you, and we decide it together.
How robotic prostatectomy works
When surgery is the right choice, Dr. Sawkar uses the da Vinci robotic platform: magnified 3D vision and tiny, wristed instruments that move with a precision the human hand cannot match. The prostate is removed through a few small incisions rather than one large one.
That precision is what makes nerve-sparing possible, protecting the delicate structures responsible for continence and sexual function. Most men leave the hospital the next day and recover faster than with traditional open surgery.
Diagnosis and staging
PSA testing, MRI, and biopsy define exactly what we are dealing with before any decision is made.
A plan made with you
Together we weigh active surveillance against treatment, matched to your cancer and your goals.
Robotic prostatectomy
The prostate is removed through small incisions, using nerve-sparing robotic technique where possible.
Recovery
Most men go home the next day, with a quicker return to normal life than open surgery allows.
Robotic prostatectomy in Orange County: what to expect
Dr. Sawkar performs robotic prostatectomy at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange using the da Vinci platform. The operation typically takes two to four hours under general anesthesia and works through five or six small incisions. Most men are walking the same evening and go home the next morning. Here is what the weeks and months afterward look like, so you can plan work, travel, and help at home before your surgery date.
The recovery timeline
| When | What is happening | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Before surgery | MRI and biopsy review, PSMA PET scan when the risk level calls for it, anesthesia clearance | Start pelvic-floor (Kegel) exercises; they shorten the road to dry |
| Surgery day and night | Two to four hours under general anesthesia, five or six keyhole incisions, one night in the hospital | Walk the evening of surgery |
| Days 1 to 10 | Catheter in place for about seven to ten days, removed in the office | Walking daily, light activity, no lifting over about ten pounds |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Catheter out; leaks with coughing or standing are expected early | Desk work at two to three weeks, driving once off pain medication |
| Months 1 to 6 | Continence improves steadily; most men are pad-free by three to six months | Kegels, gradual return to exercise, lifting after six weeks |
| Months 3 to 24 | Erections recover over months, faster with nerve-sparing on both sides and good function beforehand | Early penile rehabilitation with medication or devices, discussed at the first visit |
| Follow-up | PSA at six to eight weeks, then every three to six months for the first years | Undetectable PSA is the goal; a rise is caught early |
Typical ranges; your cancer, anatomy, and health shift them. Both nerves can be spared only when the cancer's location allows it, which the MRI and biopsy tell us in advance.
Active surveillance: who qualifies
Many prostate cancers found today are low risk and grow slowly. For those men, monitoring is the safer choice, not a compromise: surgery and radiation carry side effects, and a cancer that is unlikely to cause harm does not earn them. Active surveillance means treating only if and when the cancer shows it is changing.
The typical schedule is a PSA every three to six months, an MRI at about a year and then as needed, and a confirmatory biopsy within one to two years. If the grade rises, treatment is recommended, and because the cancer has been watched closely, the change is caught early. The features that make a man a candidate are listed here.
Your options, side by side
Three paths cover most localized prostate cancers. Dr. Sawkar offers the first two and works with radiation oncologists across Orange County for the third, so the comparison below is meant to inform you, not to steer you.
| Active surveillance | Robotic prostatectomy | Radiation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Low-risk, slow-growing cancer | Localized cancer in men who want the prostate removed and the PSA tracked to zero | Localized cancer when surgery is not wanted or not advisable |
| What it involves | Regular PSA, MRI, and periodic biopsy | One robotic operation, one hospital night | Daily external treatments over several weeks, or implanted seeds; provided by a radiation oncologist we refer to |
| Recovery | None | Catheter about a week, desk work in two to three weeks | Minimal day to day; fatigue and urinary irritation during treatment |
| Side effects | None from treatment; anxiety for some | Early urine leakage that usually resolves; erection changes that recover over months | Bowel and bladder irritation, erection changes that develop gradually; hormone therapy is sometimes added |
| Follow-up | PSA every three to six months | PSA every three to six months; undetectable is the goal | PSA every three to six months against a new baseline |
Dr. Sawkar lays out all three at the consultation and refers to radiation oncology when that is the better fit.
Why men choose Dr. Sawkar
Nerve-sparing technique
Robotic precision protects the structures responsible for continence and sexual function wherever the cancer allows.
Magnified 3D robotic vision
The da Vinci platform gives a detailed, magnified view and instruments that move beyond the range of the human wrist.
Small incisions, less blood loss
A few small incisions replace the single large one of open surgery, with less bleeding and a faster recovery.
An individualized plan
Not every cancer needs surgery. For low-risk disease, active surveillance may be the right and safest choice.
Common questions about prostate cancer treatment
Who performs robotic prostatectomy in Orange County
Dr. Hari Sawkar, board-certified urologist and Chief of Urology at Providence St. Joseph Hospital, performs da Vinci robotic prostatectomy there. Consultations and second opinions run through his Tustin office, with telehealth available.
How long is recovery after robotic prostatectomy
One night in the hospital, a catheter for about seven to ten days, desk work at two to three weeks, and full exercise after about six weeks. Continence keeps improving for months.
Will I be incontinent after prostate surgery
Some leakage in the first weeks is expected, especially with coughing or standing. Most men are pad-free by three to six months, and pelvic-floor exercises started before surgery shorten that window. Long-term severe incontinence is uncommon.
Will I be able to have erections after a prostatectomy
Often, though recovery takes months and depends on whether both nerve bundles could be spared and how good function was beforehand. Early rehabilitation with medication or devices improves the odds, and options exist for men whose function does not return.
Do I need surgery if my prostate cancer is low risk
Usually not right away. Grade Group 1 cancers are candidates for active surveillance: PSA every few months, MRI, and a confirmatory biopsy, with treatment only if the cancer changes. Many men never need it.
What is a nerve-sparing prostatectomy
A technique that peels the prostate away from the nerve bundles responsible for erections instead of removing them with it. The robot's magnified view and wristed instruments make it possible whenever the cancer's location allows.
Talk through your options
Same-day and next-day appointments. Medicare and most PPO plans accepted, with telehealth consultations available for second opinions. For the fastest response, send the office a secure message; the reply comes back by text.
Chief of Urology, Providence St. Joseph Hospital · UroLift Center of Excellence · Orange County's highest-volume Aquablation surgeon