hi folks - i posted that a gentleman had basically the same psa as mine,
same stage, and gleason, but could not have nerve sparing.
 
mine  was 6.35, T1c, gleason 3 + 3
his was 5.7, T1c, gleason 3 + 3

well, we all talk about finding a surgeon who has the most RP's, the
surgeon who does so many a year,  the surgeon who has lots of
experience.  what we don't know of the following.

this is the same surgeon who did my surgery.  he is on a team of two
surgeons and they are both excellent.  i do not doubt their skills one
bit.  but why the two different results?

the gentleman went in last week to have the staples removed and ask the
surgeon the same question as to why the nerves couldn't be spared.  the
surgeon he asked was the surgeon with the highest success rate of nerve
sparing between the two and here is what he said.

the surgeon told him that because his prostate set so deep in his body
as compared to the normal prostate and because of the web around it,
that there was absolutely no way they could save the nerves.  

i remember that my prostate set high and in front.  when i got a DRE, it
felt like they were digging for gold in china.  but when it came time
for the big decision, i was told by the one doctor that it would an
easier operation because my prostate set up high and in front on the
body, which made it easier to get to.  and the operation was a "text
book" operation - their words, not mine.

now, there  you have it.  same surgeon, basically same patient,
different results.  

now, it has got me to wondering......would an LRP been the better choice
(for him) vs the RRP because the machine can get down closer and do
things that the human hands couldn't.  i don't have an answer.  those
were my thoughts.  

anybody got any thoughts on the matter?

~ curtis

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional