What should I do

     I'm 61. I had Davinci surgery Feb 2012, psa was 3.75. I was 95% cont. around 8 months but still have 100% ed. I take 5mg Cialis daily and still nothing works. I am going to start injections in a couple weeks. I watch my first video next Tuesday. I hope this works.

      A friend of mine is 76 years old and just found out he has prostate cancer. My wife found this out from his wife.  She wanted to know who my doctor was.  I have yet talked to him but will be ready when he is.

     My problem is if I can in my heart recommend my doctor to him.

     I know all doctors and patents are different along with each different situation. I know I could have had the same results with another doctor but sometimes I wonder if they could have been better.

     I know I could be in worse shape but sometimes I think only if I had a different doctor it would be better.

     Right know I really wouldn't recommend my doctor him.

     He was a great doctor, but I am basing this on my present state.

     Am I wrong?  What should I do?

     Thanks,

         Wessy

    

Hey.
I think ED can vary depending on personal anatomy and the cancer itself. Think you should evaluate primarily on PSA and personal attention from doctor.
about all you can really say is that you don't know if another doctor would have been better. Also ED sometimes improves later on. Good luck.

P.S. 76 is old for prostate surgery as Montee said.

The best surgeons like Walsh will not operate on men older than age 70. Make sure he has a good urologist and gets the proper opinions from urologists and radiation oncologists that will tailor a treatment plan based on his situation.

By all means if you don't want to refer your doctor, there is no problem, just don't do it. You can always tell him who it is, but condition it by saying that you wished you would have gotten a few more opinions and that you wouldn't use him again. This will encourage hem to get multiple opinions before making a treatment decision. Very important.

Wessy,

What a great question!
You have to go with your gut. You can state your feelings honestly. I am sure your friend would appreciate the input. Who else can he turn to?

I've often wondered why there are no online reviews for docs. If we want to buy a tool, or see a movie , or visit a restaurant, or get a hotel room, there are hundreds/thousands of reviews.

But if we want to get patient comments about a doc it is virtually impossible. Why is that? Are patients not qualified to state whether they thought they were treated respectfully or if the office was always crowded, or dirty, or how long the doc spent with them? Are patients not capable of rating the office staff? Were they polite or rude? Was it easy to call the office and reach someone?
When the doc performs the DRE does he treat you respectfully and give you enough towels to clean up or is he a slob?
These are all things patients can clearly rate.
The outcome however is a different issue. Everyone is different. I can understand that.
But I still think it would be useful to society to have a "Yelp" or "Angie's list" for docs.

How much would you have paid for that service?
Hey, Software guys!!! Are you reading this?

Jeff

Wessy,

Do not give up on yourself regarding the ED. You should have some significant recovery if you had NERVE SPARING surgery. Was this the case?

Remember that the nerves are damaged even when spared during the surgery. Basically, anything that touches them, moves them around, etc., constitutes a trauma to them -- and they take time to recover.

It can generally take up to 3 YEARS before the nerves begin to awaken. Indeed, one other man recently posted that he had given up after having no signs of erection. And suddenly, with NO prior warning, he woke up with a strong erection.

In his post, he mentioned his surprise, but then dismissed it as a fluke. But later that day another hard erection formed and he realized that the nerves had finally recovered.

The real kick is that this was THREE YEARS & NINE MONTHS after surgery. So, even after almost 4 years, the nerves could come back.

Take care,
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & slowly getting a bit stronger.

DavidG,

I don't think any of us expect him to get surgery at that age. The guy's wife was just asking who Wessy's doctor was.

Highlander (Chuck)
Thanks for the encouragement about the ED. I am going to try injections on my next visit in 2 weeks. I read in here that also helps.
Thanks

Hi,

Good to hear that you DID have nerve sparing surgery. Yes, your ED should start getting a lot better as time goes on. Everyone's case is different, so it's just a matter of HOW much time is involved.

The doctor told me that my ability will NOT be at the same level as it was before the surgery, but as long as it's enough to get the job done, that's all that matters.

Hopefully, for you, it will not be too much longer before the magic returns.

Chuck