Ronald Pfeiffer, 59, Ohio Date of Surgery: 02/19/2008
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Early in 2007 I knew that my PSA levels were elevated, although I was getting varied readings over time.
In August, our town in Ohio experienced a devastating flood, and both our home and office sustained
damage. So when I had a needle biopsy of my prostate, my mind was preoccupied with other matters.
When my urologist asked me to come in with my wife to receive the results, I already felt that I had
prostate cancer. When he went over the results and confirmed my worst fears, my wife Robin
immediately thought that removal of the prostate was the best option, since I was healthy and several
months shy of turning sixty.
We had some friends and acquaintances that had undergone robotic prostatectomies, two of them with
Dr. Patel at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. As I began to do the research and seek out
opinions, it became clear to me that this was the option I needed to pursue. When I was finally ready to
proceed, Dr. Patel had announced that he was moving his practice to Orlando, Florida, and was not
scheduling any more procedures in Columbus. Because of his experience and reputation we immediately
decided to have surgery in Orlando when Dr. Patel was available.
The facilities at Florida Hospital Celebration Health are state-of-the-art and the Mediterranean
architectural style is very attractive. The day before surgery Dr. Patel pronounced that I was ready to do
this and he again answered all of our questions and addressed our concerns. On the morning of the
surgery we were greeted in the hospital lobby by a concierge from Dr. Patel's office who took us to the
surgery waiting area. Both the hospital and Dr. Patel's staff kept my wife informed and Dr. Patel
personally visited with her after the surgery.
When I woke up from the anesthesia I was sore but not in a great deal of pain. The nurses were very
informative and attended to my every need. Although they were very busy, I never had to wait for a nurse
to take care of me. At about noon on the day surgery, my wife, Robin, and I were allowed to leave the
hospital and go back to our hotel where we stayed for another five days to rest and recuperate. That
period was not without difficulty, and of course I had to wear a catheter the entire time. I was never in
severe pain and tried to walk and drink water as much as I could. We were also able to take some very
short trips outside of the hotel to alleviate the boredom. During this time Dr. Patel's office responded
very promptly to any question or concerns that we had.
On the sixth day we returned to the hospital for a Cystogram and removal of the catheter at Dr. Patel's
office. He also reviewed the pathology report and gave me instructions for subsequent PSA testing. We
scheduled a return visit in six months. I was so elated that Robin and I spent some time walking around
Epcot Center that afternoon on a beautiful day. All of the instructions that I received both before and
after surgery accurately prepared me well for what was a very positive experience. We flew home the
following morning, and every day I feel better and have started the Kegel exercises to minimize and
eventually eliminate urine leakage.
After determining that robotic surgery was my best option, and then going through with it, I have no
doubt that this was the right thing for me to do. Dr. Patel and his team are highly positive and
experienced; a fact that made me feel very confident. My wife and I have a great admiration for Dr. Patel
and I feel very fortunate to be under his care. For anyone going through this process, I would certainly
be available to provide any thoughts on my experience. As with anything else, I always try to seek out the
very best person available — whether it’s to provide advice or to provide a service. When it comes to
robotic prostatectomy, I truly believe that Dr. Patel is the very top surgeon you can find.
In August, our town in Ohio experienced a devastating flood, and both our home and office sustained
damage. So when I had a needle biopsy of my prostate, my mind was preoccupied with other matters.
When my urologist asked me to come in with my wife to receive the results, I already felt that I had
prostate cancer. When he went over the results and confirmed my worst fears, my wife Robin
immediately thought that removal of the prostate was the best option, since I was healthy and several
months shy of turning sixty.
We had some friends and acquaintances that had undergone robotic prostatectomies, two of them with
Dr. Patel at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. As I began to do the research and seek out
opinions, it became clear to me that this was the option I needed to pursue. When I was finally ready to
proceed, Dr. Patel had announced that he was moving his practice to Orlando, Florida, and was not
scheduling any more procedures in Columbus. Because of his experience and reputation we immediately
decided to have surgery in Orlando when Dr. Patel was available.
The facilities at Florida Hospital Celebration Health are state-of-the-art and the Mediterranean
architectural style is very attractive. The day before surgery Dr. Patel pronounced that I was ready to do
this and he again answered all of our questions and addressed our concerns. On the morning of the
surgery we were greeted in the hospital lobby by a concierge from Dr. Patel's office who took us to the
surgery waiting area. Both the hospital and Dr. Patel's staff kept my wife informed and Dr. Patel
personally visited with her after the surgery.
When I woke up from the anesthesia I was sore but not in a great deal of pain. The nurses were very
informative and attended to my every need. Although they were very busy, I never had to wait for a nurse
to take care of me. At about noon on the day surgery, my wife, Robin, and I were allowed to leave the
hospital and go back to our hotel where we stayed for another five days to rest and recuperate. That
period was not without difficulty, and of course I had to wear a catheter the entire time. I was never in
severe pain and tried to walk and drink water as much as I could. We were also able to take some very
short trips outside of the hotel to alleviate the boredom. During this time Dr. Patel's office responded
very promptly to any question or concerns that we had.
On the sixth day we returned to the hospital for a Cystogram and removal of the catheter at Dr. Patel's
office. He also reviewed the pathology report and gave me instructions for subsequent PSA testing. We
scheduled a return visit in six months. I was so elated that Robin and I spent some time walking around
Epcot Center that afternoon on a beautiful day. All of the instructions that I received both before and
after surgery accurately prepared me well for what was a very positive experience. We flew home the
following morning, and every day I feel better and have started the Kegel exercises to minimize and
eventually eliminate urine leakage.
After determining that robotic surgery was my best option, and then going through with it, I have no
doubt that this was the right thing for me to do. Dr. Patel and his team are highly positive and
experienced; a fact that made me feel very confident. My wife and I have a great admiration for Dr. Patel
and I feel very fortunate to be under his care. For anyone going through this process, I would certainly
be available to provide any thoughts on my experience. As with anything else, I always try to seek out the
very best person available — whether it’s to provide advice or to provide a service. When it comes to
robotic prostatectomy, I truly believe that Dr. Patel is the very top surgeon you can find.
