This decision has to be yours, because you are the only one who will
live with the consequences.  A rule of thumb on this forum is that a
surgeon's skill baed on experience is the single most important factor in
the RP surgery.  The more times he has done the surgery, the better he
should get at it.  Now, do as much reading as you can about the advantages
of LRP over RRP.  Then you have to decide whether those advantages outweigh
the advantages of your surgeon's greater experience with the RRP procedure.
   (Why do you have to rush into this surgery?  PCa is a very slow growing
cancer.  This is too important a decision---it involves your future
continence, erectile function, and perhaps your life---to put some sort of
arbitrary "hurry-up" time frame on it.)  All this, of course, is just my
humble non-MD opinion.

Claude

I saw a something on the new robotic surgeries. What these guys can see with
this equipment is awesome. It is so weird to watch this as the patient is
lying on the table and the surgeon is over in a corner with his hands in a
machine. I can't tell you what to do but if it was me - I think I'd rather
be using the best technology possible. But I'm not you. Only you can decided
how you feel. Twenty-five is not many but that doesn't mean he's not
skilled. Have you asked what classes/training he attending on the equipment?
Bev

Why two days. Why not two months. I'd want more than two days to make an
informed decision which would affect the remainder of my life. How long
has it been since you were diagnosed.

Did your urologist describe the benefits and tradeoff between the two
procedures. What was his recommendation. Are there other in his practice
with more Da Vinci experience. Food for thought.

Whichever decision you make, it will be the right one for you. You could
go to the Lord in prayer for guidance.

<<   My urologist will do either the RRP or the Da Vinci LRP, my choice.  >>

Well, I have to admit to being very biased.  I had robotic RP on July 21st and
came home the following morning.  Catheter out on the 28th and I'm now back
walking 3-4 miles per day and 99.44% continent.  BTW, I haven't had any pain
meds (incl. aspirin) since I left the hospital.  My wife and I have been blown
away by how much easier this has been than we expected.

In doing my research, I found that I wanted: a) someone with experience, and b)
the best practicioner I could find.  The guy I finally picked (Dr. David Lee;
www.uant.com) is fairly young, but teaches robotic surgery around the country
and does about a half-dozen robotic RPs a week.

Don't rush, or get rushed into this decision.   It's too important.

Chuck Flanagan

Do you want to help your surgeon master this new technique, or do you
want him to do what he has been doing for years?  Personally,  I would
opt for the RRP.

*I'm scheduled for surgery in ten days. PSA 3.4;Gleason 6; stage Ta2.
My
*urologist will do either the RRP or the Da Vinci LRP, my choice.
He's
*only done 25 prostate removals with the Da Vinci LRP procedure.  He's
done
*more than 1,000 RRPs.  I'm 67 years old, lean, in good shape (work
out and
*jog regularly).  Please help me decide. Must decide within next 2
days.
*Thanks

I have to agree with what the others have said. It's your decision and
no one can make it for you, unless you allow them to. Examine all
possible treatments, talk it over w/your doctor(s), family or loved
ones, then decide which is best -for you-.

Al

Please be quiet if replying via email,
flames will be deleted promptly.
I won't even read the whole message...

 RRP and that's final!

You have more time to decide.  If necessary, postpone the surgery a couple
of weeks.

But, if it were me, I'd go with Da Vinci.  I really wish I had that choice
in 2000.

You see from above----you're getting conflicting advice.  Inform yourself,
weigh the pros and cons, and then *you* have to make the decision.

Sounds like you are in the enviable position of being able to flip a
coin and win either way.

I got perfect results from standard RRP, but for some reason I didn't
respond to pain medication and had a very tough time for a week or two
afterwards.  But I don't think post-op pain is a significant enough
factor to be important in the decision.  The pain fades.  And some
guys don't have any pain anyway.

jimhoney

From an earlier Post. I found in my saved box. FYI. only.

Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 5:26 PM
Subject: Re: AndroGel and PSA

kidney

was

at a

Surgical

vessels,

comment,

although he

aftermath.

exactly

truth

the

surgeon

that

then

removal

the

last

techniques

times in

robotic

another,

trial in

Tapp's

first

and

Brudny

month

surgery.

her

doctor,

were

surgeon

from

da

they

a

that

it,

for,

the

was

told

nose,

in

not

arose

I once went to a radiation oncologist who recommended two different
treatments (external beam radiation, or external beam plus implanted
seeds).  Then he told me the long term results appeared to be about
the same and I could choose either treatment, at my option.

I asked him what he would do.  He was reluctant to say.  Then he
said that his father-in-law had cancer and he gave him external beam
plus the seeds.

Maybe you can ask the same question of the surgeon.  Ask him
which procedure he would do for his father if his father got
prostate cancer.  Maybe that will get him to discover and reveal
his own inner thoughts about which treatment he's most comfortable
with.

I don't know this for sure.  I'm not a surgeon.  But I would hope
that the 1000 RRPs that the surgeon performed help to inform
the 25 LRPs.  I would hope that he would do a much better job
than a guy who had done 25 LRPs and no RRPs.  He has, after
all, seen over 1,000 prostates with all different cancers and
conditions.  So the fact that he's done 1,000 of one and only
25 of the other may not be as big a factor as it would otherwise
appear.

   Alan