Radical prostatectomy is the total removal of the prostate gland and a small amount of associated tissue. The urethra, the tube through which the urine passes, is reattached to the base of the bladder to restore the proper anatomy. This is a large operation that usually involves an incision through the lower abdomen and requires a minimum one-week hospital stay. Sometimes alternative approaches are used. Recently there has been considerable interest, particularly in Europe, about the use of “key hole” surgery. Americans have also adopted this approach to perform “robot” surgery in which a robotic machine conducts the procedure through small incisions controlled by a surgeon on the other side of the operating theatre. These approaches have not been commonly used in Australia, although there is interest.