Post by Rick Redner on Sept 12, 2013 18:28:11 GMT -5
I'd like visitors and members to write in questions. I'll add them to this front thread and attempt to answer those questions as best I can. I'll also share the questions and answers that visitors and members provide. I'll start with these questions. I'll be posting additional questions and answers in the coming weeks. Let's get a truly helpful list together!
1. How do I know surgery is the right treatment choice? Before answering that question, there's another question that needs serious consideration. The question is: Do you need aggressive treatment in the first place? By the time you are old enough to receive the diagnosis of prostate cancer you've seen more than one person die as a result of cancer. Your history and experiences with cancer will influence the way you respond to receiving the news. Too many men are choosing aggressive treatment based upon fear and previous experiences with cancer as opposed to making decisions based upon your diagnosis. If your Gleason scores are 3+3 you MAY be an excellent candidate for active surveillance. Discuss this with your Urologist, and another Doctor involved in treating prostate cancer. Now to answer the original question, is surgery the right option for you? The worst possible way to make this decision is to go on-line and get your information from websites which promote surgery. Too many websites promoting surgery do not give the full picture of life following surgery.
Here's a link worth reading:
Surgery vs Radiation
Here's a link that offers criteria to determine whether surgery is right choice for you:
Patient Criteria
2. What Questions should I ask my Surgeon?
A. How many surgeries have you performed? (Over 300 is good for a robotic surgeon)
B. How long does it take for your patients to regain urinary control-meaning no longer using a pad or diaper?
C. How many of your patients with double nerve sparing surgery regain erectile functioning?
D. How do you control pain following surgery. If your method of choice isn't effective what's the back-up plan
3. Why do I have to wait so long after my biopsy to have surgery? 4-6 weeks. It takes that long for your rectum to heal after your biopsy.
4. How long will I need to stay in the hospital?-Most insurances companies will only pre-approve a one day hospital stay after robotic surgery. That does not mean you are forced to leave after day one, especially if you've traveled many hours in order to have surgery in a treatment center. I insisted on staying two days because I threw up at breakfast, meaning I could hold down my food, and my post surgical pain was not under control. I was awake the entire night following surgery. I wanted my pain under control before I went home. If there are legitimate medical reasons to stay in the hospital more than a day, your insurance company will more than likely cover additional time in the hospital. The decision whether you are ready to go home should be a decision made by you and your Doctor, not by your insurance company.
5. How much pain will I feel the first night following surgery? Everyone's sensitivity to pain is different. If 10 is the highest level of pain, you should expect to feel no more than level 5. You should be comfortable enough to get some sleep
5. When can I return to work? Many Doctors allow men to return to work two weeks post surgery. If you are coping severe urinary incontinence, two weeks may not be enough time at home. If your job involves heaving lifting you may be out of work for a month or more.
6. Will I regret my decision to have surgery? Check the results of My Web Poll At the time of this writing 63% of the men who chose surgery would do it again. 37% would choose a different option. This speaks the importance of taking your time to investigate the variety of options available to you. Do not let your fear of cancer, or the heavy marketing for robotic surgery be the reason for your choice of treatment.
7. Will surgery cause erectile dysfunction? It depends on a number of factors. Here are some of them:
A. Were your nerves spared during surgery.
B. Your level of pre-surgery erectile functioning
C. Your age at the time of surgery.
E. Your current state of health
F. The prescription medications you currently take
Some men regain erectile functioning immediately. For others it could take months or years. Penile Rehab should begin after your catheter is removed. (Visit the post-surgery thread on penile rehab)
8. Can I avoid erectile dysfunction by choosing radiation? The chances are your Radiologist will tell you that you can, but that's not entirely accurate. Frequently erectile dysfunction occurs years after radiation treatments. Read this link:
Impotence after radiation
Additional questions and answers will be added as questions not covered are asked.
1. How do I know surgery is the right treatment choice? Before answering that question, there's another question that needs serious consideration. The question is: Do you need aggressive treatment in the first place? By the time you are old enough to receive the diagnosis of prostate cancer you've seen more than one person die as a result of cancer. Your history and experiences with cancer will influence the way you respond to receiving the news. Too many men are choosing aggressive treatment based upon fear and previous experiences with cancer as opposed to making decisions based upon your diagnosis. If your Gleason scores are 3+3 you MAY be an excellent candidate for active surveillance. Discuss this with your Urologist, and another Doctor involved in treating prostate cancer. Now to answer the original question, is surgery the right option for you? The worst possible way to make this decision is to go on-line and get your information from websites which promote surgery. Too many websites promoting surgery do not give the full picture of life following surgery.
Here's a link worth reading:
Surgery vs Radiation
Here's a link that offers criteria to determine whether surgery is right choice for you:
Patient Criteria
2. What Questions should I ask my Surgeon?
A. How many surgeries have you performed? (Over 300 is good for a robotic surgeon)
B. How long does it take for your patients to regain urinary control-meaning no longer using a pad or diaper?
C. How many of your patients with double nerve sparing surgery regain erectile functioning?
D. How do you control pain following surgery. If your method of choice isn't effective what's the back-up plan
3. Why do I have to wait so long after my biopsy to have surgery? 4-6 weeks. It takes that long for your rectum to heal after your biopsy.
4. How long will I need to stay in the hospital?-Most insurances companies will only pre-approve a one day hospital stay after robotic surgery. That does not mean you are forced to leave after day one, especially if you've traveled many hours in order to have surgery in a treatment center. I insisted on staying two days because I threw up at breakfast, meaning I could hold down my food, and my post surgical pain was not under control. I was awake the entire night following surgery. I wanted my pain under control before I went home. If there are legitimate medical reasons to stay in the hospital more than a day, your insurance company will more than likely cover additional time in the hospital. The decision whether you are ready to go home should be a decision made by you and your Doctor, not by your insurance company.
5. How much pain will I feel the first night following surgery? Everyone's sensitivity to pain is different. If 10 is the highest level of pain, you should expect to feel no more than level 5. You should be comfortable enough to get some sleep
5. When can I return to work? Many Doctors allow men to return to work two weeks post surgery. If you are coping severe urinary incontinence, two weeks may not be enough time at home. If your job involves heaving lifting you may be out of work for a month or more.
6. Will I regret my decision to have surgery? Check the results of My Web Poll At the time of this writing 63% of the men who chose surgery would do it again. 37% would choose a different option. This speaks the importance of taking your time to investigate the variety of options available to you. Do not let your fear of cancer, or the heavy marketing for robotic surgery be the reason for your choice of treatment.
7. Will surgery cause erectile dysfunction? It depends on a number of factors. Here are some of them:
A. Were your nerves spared during surgery.
B. Your level of pre-surgery erectile functioning
C. Your age at the time of surgery.
E. Your current state of health
F. The prescription medications you currently take
Some men regain erectile functioning immediately. For others it could take months or years. Penile Rehab should begin after your catheter is removed. (Visit the post-surgery thread on penile rehab)
8. Can I avoid erectile dysfunction by choosing radiation? The chances are your Radiologist will tell you that you can, but that's not entirely accurate. Frequently erectile dysfunction occurs years after radiation treatments. Read this link:
Impotence after radiation
Additional questions and answers will be added as questions not covered are asked.