R.H., 44, Saratoga, CA Surgery: 2008
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R.H., Robotic Prostatectomy, 2008
When I heard my biopsy results, I knew in that instant that I was going to have surgery. Although
only 44 years old, I had been struggling with an elevated and slowly rising PSA for several years,
so the news was not completely unexpected. In addition, my father was diagnosed and surgically
cured at a relatively young age of 52.
Based on my earlier research, I felt surgery was best for my age and diagnosis. I also wanted the
definitive staging of my prostate cancer that only a final surgical pathology report could provide.
Given that surgery was my destiny, I had to decide between the invasive open versus the
minimally invasive approaches.
I had heard of the DaVinci surgical robot but had not previously explored its potential benefits. My
primary goals were the best potential for a cure and for the highest odds of preserved continence
and potency. For me, the quicker recovery afforded by a minimally invasive approach was a benefit
secondary to achieving a good long-term outcome. I learned, however, that there was early
evidence of not only quicker recovery but possibly better outcomes with the DaVinci procedure.
This evidence included better surgical margins for cancer containment and better statistics on
continence and potency.
During my internet research, I found relevant medical articles and chat forums that were helpful,
although I experienced a number of pitfalls as well. While all material and discussions were well-
intentioned, I found medical journals and studies to be occasionally misleading and sometimes
depressing since I did not fully understood the underlying medical statistics. This was especially
true in my case because of my having been diagnosed at a relatively young age. There simply is
little published data to date on prostatectomy outcomes for younger men.
In addition, I found online forums tended to skew the perceived average outcomes as worse than
they really were based on the most recent studies. This was because, in general, men with the
more “Now that I have had my surgery, I am very happy with my decision. I could not be more
pleased with my outcome and with the rapid recovery I have made.” difficult cases seemed to post
messages more often.
As radical prostatectomy is not an easy procedure and there is a learning curve to mastering the
robotic technique, my next step was to find the best surgeon I could who utilized the DaVinci
robot. Dr. Vipul Patel was quickly on my very short list of surgeons that I considered. When I visited
Dr. Patel and his staff, I was very impressed with both the professionalism and friendliness of
everyone on the team. I never felt rushed during my initial visit and had the opportunity to have all
of my questions answered. To me, it was evident that Dr. Patel and his team were achieving
wonderful results, especially for younger men. This may sound odd, but I had never previously
undergone any major surgery and I found that I was more apprehensive about fasting for surgery
than the actual procedure itself. However, as with many events surrounding my treatment, my
anxiety about fasting was worse than the actual experience.
While the day of surgery was filled with many thoughts and emotions, I did not feel any pain before
and immediately after the procedure. Although robotic prostatectomy is “minimally invasive,” it is
still major surgery and there is an initial toll to the body that can be expected. However, the day-
to- day improvement in my well-being and my mobility was quite dramatic. Since my father had the
conventional open procedure, I knew that my physical recovery was considerably better, even
taking into account my father’s higher age when treated.
For me, the most frustrating part of recuperation was the catheter. However, I constantly reminded
myself that it was very temporary (in my case only five days) and was necessary for proper healing.
Now that I have had my surgery, I am very happy with my decision. I could not be more pleased with
my outcome and with the rapid recovery I have made.
As I write this account, less than three months following my surgery, my physical state is nearly
back to normal — other than not having a prostate. To those unfamiliar with prostate cancer and its
treatments, this may seem to be simply an expected result of prostate removal. However, with
knowledge of this disease and the history of treatment options and outcomes, I am lucky to have
lived during a time when the PSA test is available and surgeons like Dr. Patel can treat prostate
cancer while maintaining quality of life for the patient. I feel that I have been afforded the best
possible outcome and am truly grateful.
When I heard my biopsy results, I knew in that instant that I was going to have surgery. Although
only 44 years old, I had been struggling with an elevated and slowly rising PSA for several years,
so the news was not completely unexpected. In addition, my father was diagnosed and surgically
cured at a relatively young age of 52.
Based on my earlier research, I felt surgery was best for my age and diagnosis. I also wanted the
definitive staging of my prostate cancer that only a final surgical pathology report could provide.
Given that surgery was my destiny, I had to decide between the invasive open versus the
minimally invasive approaches.
I had heard of the DaVinci surgical robot but had not previously explored its potential benefits. My
primary goals were the best potential for a cure and for the highest odds of preserved continence
and potency. For me, the quicker recovery afforded by a minimally invasive approach was a benefit
secondary to achieving a good long-term outcome. I learned, however, that there was early
evidence of not only quicker recovery but possibly better outcomes with the DaVinci procedure.
This evidence included better surgical margins for cancer containment and better statistics on
continence and potency.
During my internet research, I found relevant medical articles and chat forums that were helpful,
although I experienced a number of pitfalls as well. While all material and discussions were well-
intentioned, I found medical journals and studies to be occasionally misleading and sometimes
depressing since I did not fully understood the underlying medical statistics. This was especially
true in my case because of my having been diagnosed at a relatively young age. There simply is
little published data to date on prostatectomy outcomes for younger men.
In addition, I found online forums tended to skew the perceived average outcomes as worse than
they really were based on the most recent studies. This was because, in general, men with the
more “Now that I have had my surgery, I am very happy with my decision. I could not be more
pleased with my outcome and with the rapid recovery I have made.” difficult cases seemed to post
messages more often.
As radical prostatectomy is not an easy procedure and there is a learning curve to mastering the
robotic technique, my next step was to find the best surgeon I could who utilized the DaVinci
robot. Dr. Vipul Patel was quickly on my very short list of surgeons that I considered. When I visited
Dr. Patel and his staff, I was very impressed with both the professionalism and friendliness of
everyone on the team. I never felt rushed during my initial visit and had the opportunity to have all
of my questions answered. To me, it was evident that Dr. Patel and his team were achieving
wonderful results, especially for younger men. This may sound odd, but I had never previously
undergone any major surgery and I found that I was more apprehensive about fasting for surgery
than the actual procedure itself. However, as with many events surrounding my treatment, my
anxiety about fasting was worse than the actual experience.
While the day of surgery was filled with many thoughts and emotions, I did not feel any pain before
and immediately after the procedure. Although robotic prostatectomy is “minimally invasive,” it is
still major surgery and there is an initial toll to the body that can be expected. However, the day-
to- day improvement in my well-being and my mobility was quite dramatic. Since my father had the
conventional open procedure, I knew that my physical recovery was considerably better, even
taking into account my father’s higher age when treated.
For me, the most frustrating part of recuperation was the catheter. However, I constantly reminded
myself that it was very temporary (in my case only five days) and was necessary for proper healing.
Now that I have had my surgery, I am very happy with my decision. I could not be more pleased with
my outcome and with the rapid recovery I have made.
As I write this account, less than three months following my surgery, my physical state is nearly
back to normal — other than not having a prostate. To those unfamiliar with prostate cancer and its
treatments, this may seem to be simply an expected result of prostate removal. However, with
knowledge of this disease and the history of treatment options and outcomes, I am lucky to have
lived during a time when the PSA test is available and surgeons like Dr. Patel can treat prostate
cancer while maintaining quality of life for the patient. I feel that I have been afforded the best
possible outcome and am truly grateful.
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