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Would you like to elaborate on your numbers and why LRRP is your final decision? Just trying to help you see if it is very wise and known to you, about all the parameters, it is a one time deal and to be taken real lightly.
Has your doc done these things to help see how productive surgery even is in your situation:
1) pathology review by one of the few experts (2nd op)
2) your stats and assessment been put into nomograms and partin tables...i.e..did doc disclose the percentage odds of being curative...or miss that step?
3) fully disclosure about all side effects of surgery issues, some that you will end up with life altering changes, or was this glanced over (many times it is)
4) whom ever you choose, the method does not mean anything compared to the experience of whom does such.
Example of the real world of PCa: recently I know of a patient whom got LRRP (robotic lapro) from a "newbie" doc, only he did not know this up front. Well not only did the doc screw up in major ways, after the failed surgery (post op etc.), the doc shipped the patient to his radiation friend asap, well patient found out that the 'expert newbie' robo-doc had actually 'not got it all' and even did not get all the gland out, part of the prostate capsule was still within him (fabulous work from this doc-LOL). Well this patient is in serious trouble and seeing onco-docs and starting his lawsuit for incompetance and doc tried to cover up his mistake (never told patient the truth) and shipped him to radiation doc, whom ended up telling patient what was truthful.
"call this the Twilight Zone-of PCa stories...they exist more than most of us know"
Well, I was able to resume riding my dirt bike 6 months after my daVinci procedure. No problems what so ever!! I wore a thin pad the first few times, but do not need one any longer. I am very pleased with the procedure and outcome. (My surgeon had done over 400 procedures)
Wow Paul unreal that such things happen, would you care to mention what happened, I know I would listen. Also, perhaps that law firm is affilated with the docs or has a brother whom is a doc, you never know about politics. I would get a second opinion from another law firm, there is a law firm that specializes in PCa patient issues and I heard they have won cases. It used to called accesswatch or such, maybe google searching would help.
I try to tell people to be ware of docs in general, atleast be skeptical and ask alot of them questions, this is why.
Not wanting to start any firestorms, but patients have to realize the total fight of PCa is for us on many fronts.
Bob,
Two law firms refused my case. The one I mentioned specializes in medical work and they even have one lawyer who is familiar with prostate cases. You would think that failing to remove all of the gland would be actionable; especillay sisnce the doc didn't give me the choice of open or the robot because he needed more patients on the robot to gain experience. This just makes me more depressed.
If you were diagnosed with low risk cancer - Gleason 6, PSA <10, stage 1, etc. all treatments are open to you. While having the whole thing out is likely to provide the most cure, it is probably the most likely to leave you with continence issues. Many men suffer from stress incontinence afterward where jolts cause some urine loss.
If you are low risk, you have time to explore all your options. I suspect a dedicated horseback rider might find other treatments better suited to his lifestyle. Surveillance is an option as well.
