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Posted 9/18/2013 3:07 PM (GMT 0)

I'm scheduled for robotic surgery on 1 Oct.  For those of you who have had this procedure, is there anything now that you wish you'd been told beforehand but weren't?  What's the most important thing you'd tell me pre-operatively?  More specifically, have any of you had healing touch?  Was it helpful?  Thanks form the banks of Lake Wobegon.

Posted 9/18/2013 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Dan,

I suggest you read my surgery recap below. It may give you an idea of what your experience may be like.

Best advice I got was to have loose pants that snap down the sides (basketball "tear-away" pants) makes the catheter experience much much easier. See here for more info.

Some folks here suggest having a recliner chair for sitting/sleeping during the first few days after surgery. I tried that, but found that my bed was better/easier for me.

Have a bucket or small/sturdy garbage can to hang the catheter bag on. Something with a wide enough base so it won't tip over when the bag gets heavy.

I also found it hard to bend down to put on my shoes during the first few days. Shoes that slip-on easily would be helpful. (I made a 3' long shoehorn so I could get my shoes on without bending over much.)

-Gedman
Posted 9/18/2013 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Do as much walking and get in the best shape possible before surgery.  Really helps with the recovery and I believe helps in resolving the incontinence issue.  Good luck and see you on the other side.

Tom

Posted 9/18/2013 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
Dan, good luck with your scheduled surgery.  It sure would be helpful, though, if we knew more about you:  your age, your Gleason score, number of positive cores in the biopsy, whether the surgery will be DaVinci or "open," your general health situation, and other specifics about you and your prostate cancer.

I guess the only thing I hadn't anticipated was the abdominal pain after surgery from gas.  I wish I had anticipated that, and I wish the hospital staff had at least informed me that the uro had provided a standing order for simethicone as needed.

I would advise you to read all you can about your procedure; read about the catheter and its care; understand the likelihood of lingering incontinence and loss of sexual function, learn what bladder spasms are, and just read, read, read. 

Finally, regarding "healing touch":  It might be relaxing, but I sure wouldn't pay any more than I would pay for a good massage at a local spa, and I wouldn't expect anything more than I would from a masseur or masseuse.  As soon as I see a website that doesn't know the difference between "affect" and "effect," I question its seriousness.  Logical?  No, but to me it shows a disturbing lack of professionalism and attention to detail.  We all make that mistake, and it's not a big deal at all, but it shouldn't happen on a website like theirs.

Posted 9/18/2013 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry about not including more information. I had meant to include my signature box with my initial message, so I'll try again. My surgery will be da Vinci, see signature for additional information.
Posted 9/18/2013 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
Dan -- i'm surprised at your age you are opting for surgery. 

ed

 

Posted 9/18/2013 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
Breakaway basketball type pants - check
Bucket for catheter - check
Bag with handle to carry catheter in when you walk - check
Donut cushion to sit on when your testicles swell up - check
Stool softeners for first BM - check
Water and more water to drink - check
Dvd movies to watch - check
3M temporary hook to hang cath on when you take a shower - check
Slip on shoes - check
Loose fitting pants because the incisions hurt with a belt on - check
Waterproof pad for bed - check
Recliner - check

What did I forget guys?

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 9/18/2013 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Dan

I'm also surprised you are opting for surgery with your GL6 and age. It seems like there are less invasive therapies like brachytherapy which would work for you. Even watchful waiting.

I had open RP ten days ago at age 69 1/2 because (a) I have a long life expectancy (my father just passed at age 94 and I have no other health problems), (b) I have a high risk GL 9 cancer albeit low volume, (c) I did not want to deal with months of radiation and maybe years od HT and (d) I was not a good candidate for brachytherapy due to long time BPH.

I have not found surgery to be that big a deal. The biggest problem so far is constipation and gas, but after ten days it has improved dramatically. I flew home three days after surgery.

As far as advice, the number one important thing is to choose the best surgeon you can find no matter where he is located. Everything else is a distant second IMO.
Posted 9/18/2013 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
hi dan

My RALP done on 08/02...I m 7th week post surgery.  Recovered from incontinence @ 4th week.

I think the kegels ex has help me a lot on the recovery of leaky problems.  I started the exercise a week b4 surgery. 

As for the catheter's bag is quite easy to handle although it is inconvenient. I just hang it on my side pocket.

Drink plenty of water to flush the bladder & keep walking.

All the best to the surgery...bro

Post Edited (yk) : 9/18/2013 4:54:53 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/19/2013 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Dan, welcome and good luck on your upcoming surgery.

There are many, many of us surgery guys here, all eager to help you through it, and safely on the "other side".

David in SC
Posted 9/19/2013 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
If you have a dog, do not let him/her near your catheter or bag.

(No, I did NOT have an issue with this.)

..
Posted 9/19/2013 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Dan:

I absolutely hate to do this, but can you tell us your thinking behind wanting surgery at your age with your stats? Don't get me wrong, I think surgery is a great option for many men and it certainly worked out wonderfully for me, but I'm curious what the recommendations were to you from your urologist. Please don't take my question as a critique, I believe in choice for anyone regardless of age or degree of disease.

I think Gedman's list is a gold list to read. I'd just warn that I suspect that my recovery at 40 would potentially be very different from the average recovery at 75.
Posted 9/19/2013 12:04 PM (GMT 0)
Dan, if you are firmly committed to surgery then I wish you the best and hope it all goes well.

But, as you have seen from several of the posters, there are some questions about why you made the choice you did. Considering your age and stats, many of us on this forum would recommend that you seek advice from other disciplines and make sure that you have explored all of the options. Many in the medical community would encourage you to consider active surveillance, particularly if your biopsy scores are confirmed as G6 by a second opinion from one of the expert pathologists such as Bostwick or Epstein.

And, should you choose to treat the cancer, the odds are that almost any of the treatments will be curative. For that reason, it make sense for you to consider all of the options like brachytherapy and cyberknife.

Perhaps you have already had multiple consults and fully explored the research on our disease. If so, my apologies for bringing up options but you asked what people wished they had been told beforehand. Perhaps the most important things that patients can be told are to get educated and explore all of their options.

Jim
Posted 9/19/2013 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dan and hello to everyone. I'm new to this forum and wish I had found it a long time ago.

Dan, Looks like you have received some great advise from others. I have two things to add.
First, hold your catheter tube, tight, when anyone gets on that side of the bed or if your getting up to walk, which I recommend as soon as you can even if it's only two steps the first time.
Second, bring some Sucrets, my throat was so sore I couldn't swallow and ice water didn't do much good. When I asked the nurse she said she had to ask the Doctor for permission and then I only got one.

My best to you,
Jerry

Age 67 Diagnosed in June 2013
PSA, Pre Surgery 33, Post Surgery .03
Bx showed cancer in both sides
Pathology also showed positive in both seminal's and at the margins
Seminal vesicles also removed
Lymph nodes appear clear.
Highly aggressive, Stage 4 cancer
Gleason 9 (4+5)
Outlook +/- 5 years
DaVinci 8/12/13 Operation took 5-1/2 hours and spent 5 days in Hospital.
As of today 99% recovered from surgery
Seminal vesicles also removed
No known family history
Continence after 4 weeks.
In process of getting treatment options and opinions moving forward.
Plan to fight as hard as I can.
Posted 9/19/2013 3:09 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for the abundance of support and good suggestions.  Several of have asked how I decided for surgery given my age and Gleason score.  Let me try and explain how I got to this decision:

I am indeed 75.  I am also in excellent health, physically active, both my parents lived into their 90's, and I consider my life expectancy to be in the range of 15-20 years.  I have a fairly high tumor volume with 2 cores at 80%, and cancer is present on both sides of my prostate, therefore moderate grade.  I've seen 3 urologists, all of whom are comfortable with my decision to have the da Vinci surgery procedure; one was quite direct, "Dan, I think you should have robotic surgery -- and sooner rather than later."  I've picked two skillful, experienced surgeons who operate as a team and have performed 2,600 of these procedures.  There may be a regional factor as well: robotic surgery seems to be the treatment of choice in the Upper Midwest.

Watchful waiting/active surveillance was the only other treatment option I seriously considered.  I decided against it because of the anxiety and uncertainty.  It's part of how I'm wired together.  I prefer an active approach to a passive approach.  In addition, I dealt with thyroid cancer a number of years ago.  I started with watchful waiting, then a hemi-thyroidectomy: low-grade stuff but then it metastasized, so I had the rest of my thyroid removed plus neck nodes, followed by ablative radioactive iodine. (Yes, I know thyroid cancer is different from prostate cancer, but some of the thought processes and approaches to decisions are similar.)

That's about it.  I'll be back in touch on the other side, if not before.  Thanks again for the support and good wishes.

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