kdeinv,
I'm glad to tell you more about my experience there at Vanderbilt...
I am leaning toward Vanderbilt for my surgery as they are one of the Centers of Excellence and 6th in a recent ranking for Urology. How old would you say Dr Joseph Smith is?
Dr. Smith is in his mid 60's, I believe. At my initial consultation with him I wondered about things such as his age, etc, and I was very much at ease talking with him, and I decided before the meeting was over to have my surgery there. I was at that point even very undecided between surgery and RT.
Does he have an established robotic team and does he do all of the surgical procedures himself?
Dr. Smith has an established team; I met his head nurse that assists him during surgery, prior to the day of surgery. The day of surgery I met the assistant surgeon and the anesthesiologist. I had an unknown umbilical hernia, and the assistant did that part; part of the reason I was on the op table nearly 4 1/2 hours.
Did you stay in Nashville for preop, surgery, and post op to include catherter removal.
I got to Nashville 2 days prior to surgery, had my pre-op meeting with Dr. Smith the day before surgery. I stayed in the hospital one night only, and if I had known then, I would have asked to stay at least one more night. I then stayed 2 more days in Nashville. I went home the 3rd day, and that was a big mistake. It was 12 hours on the road back to Warren, Ohio, and I was miserable. I should have stayed in Nashville for a week, minimum. I had my catheter removed 14 days later here in Ohio by a new urologist.
What was the timeline for these appointments?
I had my consultation with Dr. Smith late January, and I got on his Op Room schedule for about 2 months later, in late March.
What about appointments after the surgery for ED and incontinence issues. (Is that something that is problematic for someone coming from another state or can the discussions occur over the phone?). I know many local surgeons have sexual wellness coaches and classes for pelvic exercises prior to and after surgery which if local is much more convenient.
Vanderbilt has a very good program for ED and incontinence issues; but with me being here in Ohio, I have been working with other urologists and a medical oncologist here. Vanderbilt hospital, and in particular Dr. Smith's department, have an online website where you can access all your records, lab/test results, etc., and have an ongoing question/answer message board directly with his head nurse (it is called MyHealthAtVanderbilt, and you create a username and password so only you and/or your assigns can view it).
I am willing to stay up in Nashville for the 7 or so days until the catheter removal step.
Is that American Cancer Society Memorial Foundation Hope lodge a nice place to stay with my wife? Do they take anyone being treated there? What is the cost?
My gf and I stayed 2 days prior to surgery and 1 day afterward at the American Cancer Society Memorial Foundation Hope lodge. It is a great place to stay, set up just like a nice hotel, and it is free, no cost at all. I called ahead a few weeks prior and scheduled it. I stayed one more day at the Scarritt-Bennett Center within 5 minutes walk from the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. It is an old college that is now a conference center, retreat, and hotel of sorts. It is a beautiful campus, and the rates are about $50/night. I paid $40 a night for me and my gf, as it was a medical discounted rate arrangement they have with Vanderbilt. It is no frills for sure, but very nice, clean and accomodating.
I did get a list of hotels in the area and will probably stay in one of them for the Consult visit.
Most of the nearby hotels have the arrangement with Vanderbilt-Ingram to discount their rate for their patients.
Wally