My husband is scheduled for DaVinci at the end of May

We are just starting this journey. My husband was recently diagnosed and we've decided on DaVinci.  I'd love to hear from others who have undergone that treatment.  We are considering our local Physician who has done about 75 procedures, but are wondering if we should be going to the "best"  We're thinking about Mani Menon in Detroit or Ash Tawari in New York.  Any suggestions would be helpful.  I don't have all his data but will get it Monday and post it. He is 52 years old. His PSA was 6.2, Gleason 4+3.  Help! 

Post Edited (leader) : 4/22/2007 8:16:06 AM (GMT-6)

Leader

Welcome, I just had Da Vinci surgery (9 Apr 07) and it took my doctor only 2 + hours to complete the procedure. I was up and walking around the next day and was released with in 24 hours. I had a catheter in for 10 days and now I'm dealing with what we all have to deal with and thats the leaking. Because of the skill of my surgeon I have had no ED problems and feel this will not be an issue. I have to admit that I didn't research other surgeons before the operation and I may have lucked out. I live in Colorado Springs and you would think that someone of my doctors skill would be working in Denver. When I asked him about how good he was at this he told me he had studied with the surgeopn who pioneered the procedure and he rated only two other surgeons in the country as good as he was. I took this as being cocky but so far he has lived up to the hype he gave himself. The Da Vinci procedure is less invasive and has the potential for less blood loss. The increased magnification and three d view the doctor has makes the procedure very safe.

For me I recommend it and if your doctor has 75 under his belt I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Good luck and if you want any more info please let me know.

Alex

Leader,

I had my Da Vinci on November 1st last year. I looked for a surgeon that had done a lot of the procedures and found my surgeon at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Ask for the surgeon's complications rates. A good one will be able to provide the information. As an example, my surgeon at the time had done over 800 Da Vinci's and is now doing more of them each month then Menon or Tewari. He received his training in the procedure at the same place that Menon and Tewari did which is Memorial Sloan Kettering. His complication rate for incontinence was 92% of his patients achieved full continence in the first year after surgery, 6% still had stress incontinence and 2% were leaking enough to require intervention. Relaitve to impotence 70% achieved normal erections within a year. The other 30% were using some form of intervention.

There are many surgeons around the country that are within a days drive of most locations that have done hundreds of Da Vinci's. My surgeon told me that it took him about 50 to 75 surgeries to feel that he had the technique refined.

In my case I was in surgery for about 4 hours which included the set up time for the robot. Most surgeries are shorter then this but because the my surgeons schedule open up when the surgery before mine was cancelled due to complications he had the whole morning and said that he took his time. This is also a teaching hospital so I suspect that also came into play.

Tamu

Leader

As you will see from my stats many of the them are very simular to yours. I did go for a second opinion from my local urolisit who was prepared to do the open surgey and not spare much of anything in regards to nerves etc, just the way he did it I was told. My second opinion took me to UW Madision to a young doctor that had done both the open and Da Vinci surgery. At the time of my surgery he had completed approximately 80 to 100 Da Vinci procedures and I have been pleased with my results, not that things are the same as before, I still have a little leak every now and then but no major floods at all. I have used 1 pad per day since the beginning. And as for the sexual fuctions I am one of the more lucky ones, I would say I am back to about 90% of where I was before surgery and have not needed any drugs of any kind to help me along. The one thing about it is while the plumbing works my drive is not as high as before but it does get better all the time. So I would say if he has done 75 he has good experience but the most important thing is how do you feel about him and the staff. After meeting with the doctor that preformed my surgery I felt real good about what he told me and explained things, much more so the my first experience. If you have any doubt then I would check for a second opinion, it's what you feel is right in your heart and mind.

norskie

Thanks all for you wise advice and guidance.  We are scheduled for next week and feel great about the decision.  So some questions for the caretakers and patients out there.  What advice do you have for me?  What supplies should be on hand. Can someone educate me about the pads? Are we talking depends?  Is there something else we need?  Who on the medical team can tell us?  It's all been so encouraging.  Now, we just want to get there and be done.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi Leader

Good luck with your surgery.  I'm sure you have read many posts here that will be very helpful.  There was one a week or so ago that listed things you should take with you (or not take with you) to surgery. Maybe someone will "bump" it up.

The talk about pads is after you have had your catheter removed a week or so after surgery.  Normally You usually won't need them for the first week after surgery.  Most doctors recommend "guards for men" or a store generic. This usually give you leak protection after catheter removal.  Full on Depends are not needed unless you have significant continence problems long term.

Hi Leader: I had DaVinci done at City of Hope, in Duarte, CA, last January. I am very happy with the results. I live in Las Vegas and could have had it done here, but opted for City of Hope, because at the time, they had done over 2,300 robotic prostatectomies. Yes, robotic is "less invasive" but my doctor cautioned me that it's not so much about invasiveness as accuracy. He very-confidentally stated to me that there is no surgical procedure that offers the imaging resources and precision the DaVinci does.
But remember, although the robotic lapro procedure doesn't leave you with the large incision, the same thing happens to your insides and the internal heaing requires time and patience.
So, don't let your hubby be a hero. Walking is great -- lifting is a no-no. Also, he may be a little loopy from the anesthesia for a couple of weeks -- at least I was. On more than one occassion, my wife answered one of my questions and then told me that I had asked the same question three times in the past two weeks!
After surgery, your husband may be leery about going out and driving or shopping on his own. At times, I would get light-headed for some reason, and didn't want to be alone away from home -- especially alone with my 12-year-old. I was also amazed at how a simple task like having dinner at a friends house or watching one of my son's football games would absolutely exhaust me. I began to wonder if I'd ever feel like my old self again.
But all that is gone now -- Woo-Hoo!! By about week seven, I was my old self again -- a late-bloomer by most standards -- but back in action, thank God.
I suggest men's pads, either Serenity or Depends. The dearest is the cheapest, so avoid the Safeway/Albertson etc. generics. They are much less soft and your husband will appreciate the softness in that area.
Also, get him some old fashioned jockies -- I recommend Fruit of the Loom. He may need the support for his testicles. After surgery, I went right back to my beloved boxers and it was a big mistake -- set me back for a few weeks. I had no swelling or anything but felt like my right nut weighed about 30 pounds -- not fun.
And finally, as far as Kegels go, be sure he knows how to do them properly. Otherwise, he will waste his time and energy. There is a lot of info. buried in this forum on the Kegels. (Bluebird knows what to do)
Best of luck to you. You're both going to be fine. I'm so glad you've chosen a treatment you feel good about. Best to ya!
Tom

Hello leader,

Great choice for the Davinci procedure..

I had mine done April 17th 2007 in Orange, Ca at Saint Joseph Hospital by Brian Norouzi, M.D.

As far as pads go I use Assure ultra thin pads..they are a little wider than the Serenity. They also have the cup contour which goes beneath the scrotum. They are a very aborbent pad and also has odor control.

They can also be found at Walmart for under $10.00 for 52 pads

Hope this helps.

Good luck to you and your husband,

David M.