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Clearly, from my bad experience, I cannot recommend the DaVinci. I'm one of three men in my small support group who have had tissue left behind after this surgery. Since they only get one shot at it, I'd suggest an open. Even the Chief of Urology at my hospital agrees.
Like Paul A, the robot didn't get all mine out either. But given the advantages of the smaller intervention (keyhole surgery), I think that IF there are no other presenting problems, then probably as surgery it will be the best way to go. The problem seems to be the presence of pre-exisitng scar tissue from either injury to the pelvic area or operations like earlier TURP.
I am told that it was the thoroughness of my TURP that caused my (eminent and world famous surgeon Roger Kirby of the UK Prostate Centre) to lose his bearings.
Yet I asked repeatedly BEFORE surgery if this TURP would cause problems. Both he and another uro said that although it made it more difficult it was all do-able. Well it wasn't was it!
I subsequently asked him if I would have been better off with open and he said it has been so loong since he did one he wasn't sure if he remembered how. ( I'm sure this was an exagerration,but the point is that the robot guys are developing their skills on the robot and probably losing them on the old ways).
Anyway, my advise would be to think extra carefully about having robotic if you have any hint of a complication such as previous injury or scar tissue.
