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I'll be going for a consultation at the City of Hope in Southern California. I will be speaking with Dr. Mark Kawachi who has done over 1,000 of the robotic surgeries (there are a few guys on the YANA site who have the surgery done by him-a few from out of the state). To be honest, I haven't found any drawbacks to this type of surgery. I mean, surgery is surgery but out of all the research I have done, if you had the choice between the two, this is the one you want. If your doc says you have time to research your options, then start looking for a DaVinci doc who's done ALOT of them. Big hospital, teaching hospital, and an experienced surgeon. I don't know where you live but I could help you find one (heck, it can't hurt). Precision is the operative word in this type of surgery. And, when they're dealing with nerves that mean the quality of life for us, then precision, precise movements I think are/is the key. Dave
Thank you for your reply. Thus far, I agree with you about the surgeries. We live in Michigan and are going to consult with Dr. Menon at Henry Ford this week. I have read about their experience collectively, but not about the individuals surgeons there. Additionally, we have been very impressed with what we read about Dr. Patel and also considered traveling to Florida to utilize his expertise. We would not mind traveling, but it might make sense to stay close to home. There is also the University of Chicago not too far away. It is hard, as many are getting their numbers and techniques up there.
I am curious if you know of anyone with RECENT experience with any of these....
Good luck to you and thank you for the time of the reply.
I’m never too sure how many people who come to this forum have examined the information on the Yana website – click “Return to Website” at the head of this page to get there.
Go to Resources and page down. You’ll find links to two men who research and keep details of the best surgeons, including laparoscopic surgeons. They’ll help you in your research. There are also dozens of men who have had both types of surgery and who tell their stories. Many of them are recent and all stories are pretty well current. Most of the men will give you any additional information you want. If you click on Experiences or go to http://www.yananow.net/Experiences.html you can access the stories by choice of treatment, age at diagnosis, Gleason Score and date of diagnosis.
Dr. Menon pioneered the robotic laparoscopic method in Detroit. I'm having the surgery in less than two days with a surgeon who was there with Menon in 1999 when the first robotic was done. You are all correct the surgeon is the key and his frequency is all important. I decided that 2000 robotics was a no brainer. Good luck.
Great news! Dr. Kawachi's office called and asked if I would like to come in tomorrow, 2/13 due to a cancellation. Dr. Kawachi is the DaVinci doc at the City Of Hope who is "THE MASTER." I wasn't supposed to see him for another 8 days. Go to Google and type in: "Kawachi robotic surgery" and you'll see. I've learned alot from this site as well as WebMD. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SURGEON IS PARAMOUNT. I am so happy. Happy...? Well, I'm happy because I'll be speaking to one of ' Americas Best Doctors'. We have a terrible deadly disease and because of everyone on this site, it taught me to obtain the absolute best based upon certain factors. It certainly isn't like getting surgery for a hernia, gall bladder or an operation on our thumb. The surgery is scheduled quick and the next thing you know, the doc is there cuttin' away. Finding a doc for our "situation" takes patience and perseverance. For me, being 48, PSA 5.2, Gleason 5, TC1, surgery was my choice. The surgery I chose is Robotic. There is no other way. Thanks for listening. Dave
Just walked in the house after visiting with Dr. Kawachi at the City of Hope. Got my EKG and blood test on Friday, 2/15 and believe it or not, surgery on 2/26! His secretary asked: "would you like it sooner?" Duh...
Dr. Kawachi put my wife and I at total ease. Going home the next day, eating anything you want, driving the next day etc. Am I glad I chose this route? You betcha.
David, I know it's only the 3rd day after your RALP, but would be interested in hearing from you soon. Have you considered putting your story on the YANANOW.net so more people get to see it?
I had my RALP at the University of Chicago on the 4th of Jan., and I am still interested in how other men are recovering.
That reminds me, I have to get over there and update my progress.
All the best.
Ralph
I had the DaVinci RP Jan 24 2008 at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California. I spent 2 nights there. The recovery has been easy. Never any pain. I jhad the drain tube removed 1 day after release, and the catheter removed 10 days after surgery. I have just completed my first week of work. I was out a total of 4 weeks. I was dry at night the firat night after the catheter was removed, and today, I have only used 2 pads. The whole surgery and recovery was far easier than what I had envisioned.
