ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The perioperative management of radical prostatectomy in Japan has not been investigated previously. It would be significant to document present management practices. METHODS: A questionnaire survey of 1,213 educational institutions of Japanese urological association was conducted by mail. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned from 722 (60%) institutions and responses indicated that radical prostatectomy was performed in 657 of these institutions (91%). Admission to hospital was most frequently scheduled on preoperative day 2; walking was most frequently planned to be initiated on postoperative day (POD) 1; beginning of food intake on POD 2; termination of continuous drip infusion and drain removal on POD 3, removal of the Foley catheter on POD 7; intravenous antibiotics for three days; oral antibiotics for 7 days; and discharge from hospital on POD 14. However, the duration of the indwelling drain and Foley catheter, antibiotic administration and hospitalization varied widely. CONCLUSION: There was great variety in the perioperative management of radical prostatectomy among hospitals. We need to obtain consensus on 1) the timing of drain removal, 2) duration of antibiotics, and 3) the timing of catheter removal, in order to uniformly provide medical care of good quality in Japan.