Life experience after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A 1-year prospective study

Objective: Although robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is widely used for prostate cancer, postoperative deterioration of quality of life (QOL) remains an issue. Many previous QOL studies have used health-related QOL measures after surgery. However, life experiences of patients remain unknown, and QOL measures alone may not be sufficient for understanding multidimensional QOL. This study aimed to clarify the transition in life experiences of patients after RARP. Methods: A questionnaire survey that contained 17 independent items was administered to 108 patients at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after RARP to evaluate life experience. Cochran's Q test was used evaluate the change over time in life experience. Results: A total of 88 men were included in the analysis. Most participants did housework and worked as usual 3 months post-RARP; however, few participants went on trips. Although urinary dysfunction improved over time, participants exhibited long-term support needs, such as pad use. More than half of the participants were anxious about recurrence throughout the postoperative year. Conclusions: The transition of 17 life experiences of patients for 1 year after RARP was clarified. Patients presented diverse experiences, both positive and negative. The findings demonstrate a wide range of impacts on life after RARP, thus emphasizing the need for QOL support.