I Have Joined the Team

Got the pathology this week; two of 13 snips positive for adenocarcinoma; two other snips suspicious and "consistent" with cancer.  Gleasons were 3/4 = 7; and 4/3 = 7.  Surgery recommended as only real option.  I have appointments with two surgeons the week of October 4th.  In our upstate New York area, one surgeon is probably the leading experienced doctor for radical open prostatectomy.  He works out of our teaching medical center and has done this surgery in the thousands for 20 + years.  A friend had surgery with this doctor 12 years ago (at age 48) and my friend is still here. 

The second surgeon is the most expereinced practitioner in the area with the DaVinci -- but that means probably on the order of 300 - 400 surgeries completed as that has only been done around here for a few years. 

All my sorces of inormation indicate that both surgeons are highly competent within their technicque sets, so I am wondering if any data are available regarding the relative efficacy and short term outcomes of the two approaches?  In the immediate term I am most concerened about: margins and continence.  Lymph either is or isn't. 

Thanks for any input.  Best to all...  NewsPaper Lover

Daivd hit it right on the head.

If you have seen my posts, you know I just completed my surgery 10 days ago. That makes me a newbie here, experienced, but newbie still the same.

Take a little time, take a deep breath and research the hell out your options.

All of us make our decisions on which way to go when we have talked to Dr.s from the different disciplines. We reason it out and consult with our loved ones and move forward with confidence and comfort in our decisions.

It's not a race for you from what I see from your info. Be thorough. Search it out and you will know when you find the right fit for you.

Good luck in your search down this muddy path. We will keep you and your family in our prayers,

Sonny

Hi NewspaperLover. As I started my career, in the world of making money as a reporter, (even managed to write once for Time Magazine) I love your alias.

Sorry to hear you've been confirmed as a member of this club. While you may well decide on surgery, be assured it is not your only reasonable option, at least best I can tell from the stats you've given, and remember us former reporters don't necessarily get our facts right. That said, you do have some reading and research ahead of you. In the end you'll find you've got trade offs that only you can decide on.

The guys and gals here are a fantastic resource. Don't hesitate to ask.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless

Greetings, Newspaperlover.  First thing I would say is to agree with my brothers here.  Do your research and make sure you choose the treatment option that is right for you.  There are lots of options and they all have their place.  You have to choose what is right for you.  You are going through that process just by asking the questions you are. 

Now for your specific questions.  I'll tell you what my surgeon said.  He is in probably the largest group of urologists in our area.  They have a very good reputation and docs with lots of experience.  My doc came highly recommended and I was very impressed with him from the start.  He only does open surgery and does lots and lots of them.  He began his practice here in 1985 after a one year fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.  He does 3 surgery's on Monday and 3 on Wednesday most weeks.  That is somewhere around 250 surgeries a year.  He does other surgery besides prostatectomies but most are prostate surgeries.  My doc says that robotic surgery is the wave of the future.  In fact, at some point he may switch over.  But for now he does open and thinks it is the better choice for many men.  He likes to get in and both look and feel around.  He believes you can do a better job of sparing the nerves with the open.  The day will come when nearly all prostatectomies will be done with the robot, but not quite yet.  He did say that if I decided I wanted robotic he could not disagree with me and he would refer me to one of his partners who does robotic.  I had great confidence in him and decided to let him do the open.  I have had great results so far - go back for my 90 day PSA on Thursday and then the next one will be 2 years post surgery and we plan to move to every 6 months instead of every 90 days. 

Please let me know if I can provide more details or further informatin.  Best wishes on your treatment.  David