Recovery after focal therapy
Focal therapy is generally performed as a day case procedure. This means that you will be in and out of hospital on the same day. You will need someone to pick you up afterwards as you recover from the effects of the anaesthetic. If you’ve had the treatment later in the day, some people find they prefer to rest in a nearby hotel before travelling home the day after.
To reduce strain on your bladder and bowel after your treatment, we will fit you with a catheter. This will drain your urine without you needing to go to the bathroom. You’ll wear it for about a week, strapped to your leg, but it shouldn’t interfere with most day-to-day tasks.
“Yes, you can play in an ice hockey match twelve days post procedure with HIFU. I’m not promising you’ll be able to skate [though]….”
Nigel Harris
The Focal Therapy Clinic patient
Side effects
Many people experience some minor symptoms after their focal therapy procedure. Where your tumour was located in your prostate has a bigger impact on your risk of side-effects than the type of focal therapy. Learn more about why your tumour location matters when choosing your treatment
Some people experience some pain between your testicles and rectum, but over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol usually helps.
Immediately after your treatment, you might find that your bladder control isn’t as good as usual and you find it difficult to get and maintain erections. However, as your prostate gland heals over the week or so after treatment, this usually goes away. If you have any concerns, speak to us.
How can focal therapy preserve my quality of life in the long term?
Returning to work
Like any surgical procedure, we recommend resting until you feel able to work. Many of our patients who have desk-based jobs have found that they can work the next day – that’s only one day out of work at all.
If you have a more active job, talk to us before your procedure to understand any tasks you might need to avoid immediately after your treatment.
Playing sports
How quickly you get back to normal after your focal therapy treatment depends on how fit and healthy you were beforehand. Some men benefit from exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor, especially if they are doing high-impact activities like running or playing tennis. Most people find that they are back, living their life as they did before, in around 2 weeks.
Monitoring your prostate cancer
In the majority of cases, your PSA will be checked 3 months and an MRI scan between 9 and 12 months after your treatment. This is to ensure all your prostate cancer has been removed and we’ll review the results together in your final follow-up appointment. This is your final scheduled follow-up appointment but if you have any problems, we will always be here for you.
If you have NanoKnife, you may also have an MRI within the first 2 weeks after treatment. This is because we are collecting data, as required by NICE.
Learn more about recovery
Any questions?
If you’ve got any questions about your prostate cancer diagnosis or want to know more about HIFU or NanoKnife, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly, knowledgeable team.