Lillian...I'd ask him how his 5-, 10- and 15-year post-surgery
biochemical recurrence-free rates compare against those published for
RRP (open surgery).  If you do decide to ask this question, I would be
very curious as to how he responds...Best wishes and good health, Ron

Lillian:

  I had robotic LRP on October 13th and played a four-hour gig on
October 25, but I didn't really want to go anywhere until the catheter
was gone --- some men go about their lives with the catheter in, but I
didn't leave the house much until it was gone, 8 days post-op. I never
had much pain (except for the occasional cough), so I probably COULD
HAVE played a gig (sitting down) 5 days post-op, but it just seemed too
complicated with the catheter.

  I chose robotic LRP because I liked the ideas of 12x magnifcation at
the incision site and a bloodless field, plus the relatively fast
healing time due to the smaller incisions. You need to know how many
surgeries he's done with the robot and you need to make sure he's going
to do nerve-sparing surgery if at all possible. Also ask how his former
patients did with erectile dysfunction and incontinence as well as their
prognosis for full recovery. Mike's suggestion about references was a
good one too.

  Stay in touch!

Larry

Somewhere inside each of us is a need to have our selection of treatment
validated by having others faced with the same decision reach the same
conclusion as we did.  Every treatment option has it's own pros and cons and
we selectively downplay the negative aspects of  "our" treatment option and
exaggerate the negative aspects of alternate treatments.  I include myself
in this sweeping generalization.

You've made a reasonable decision and at this point what you need is our
support and encouragement, not last minute sales pitches for a different
primary treatment!

It is rather silly to dismiss LRP as an option based on it's relative
newness - it has been performed since 1998 in France.  If that attitude were
general, the medical profession would still be applying leaches and bleeding
patients for every imaginable ailment and medical science would never
advance (picture the scene 50 years ago: You are having an X-ray??  Are you
crazy??  How do you know your kids won't have genetic defects 20 years from
now??)

LRP surgery (robotic or otherwise) is technically more difficult than RRP
but is being offered more and more widely because patients are demanding it
and young doctors, concerned about minimizing morbidity, are taking up the
challenge of becoming competent in this approach.  I'll predict that
eventually this approach will become the new standard until it in turn is
replaced by something better.

Congratulations on getting to this point.  You've both come a long way.
I did not have robotic LRP surgery (but I did undergo LRP in October 2001),
so I don't have any sage advice about questions to ask.

Surgery on the 15th and a gig on the 20th would seem a trifle ambitious,
what with the catheter and all, but he certainly should be able to attend
the concert and at least sit in for a tune or two.  I had surgery on a
Tuesday and was doing yardwork by the Friday of that same week but did, at
that point still tire relatively easily.  Are we talking electric bass or a
stand-up double bass?

All the best to you and good luck.  Don't look back.  No regrets.

JP

I think you have an excellent list of questions, the exception being
the 5-10-15 history which is obviously impossible to answer at this
point. I believe LRP will likely replace RP at some point because the
results will prove to be a least as good and maybe better when it
comes to nerve sparing and perserving continence although the latter
is actually pretty good already. Personally, I liked the idea of a
less invasive surgery and short recovery times.  If there are any
other benefits, they are just a bonus.  I had my LRP on Wednesday
afternoon and left the hospital the next morning.  I felt so good that
I probably could have done some damage had I not been constantly
reminded that I just had major surgery and to take it easy.  My
surgeon told me a story about a patient who had LRP and 5 days post-op
he decided to fertilize his lawn.  After carrying a few 100# bags of
fertilizer around he began bleeding and required open surgery and
couple of procedures to remove scar tissue from the second surgery. I
am now 2 weeks post-op and still think about that.

Good Luck
John

Mike, Joe, Larry and John...I realize that many factors can come into
play when considering which treatment option to select.  It can be as
simple as getting an incredible feeling of confidence during your
meeting with the doctor.  I respect the choices each person makes in
defining their treatment plan and have no intention or desire to be
judgemental. It is an individual choice.

Having said that, let me add that I had some level of concern that
Lillian and her husband had selected a treatment option after first
posting about diagnosis 10 days ago.  Do they really know what kind of
tumor is being treated (e.g. has the biopsy been read by an expert),
have they considered RT, RP and cryo, have they compared RRP and LRP?
Perhaps they had discussed these questions and I missed the post,
perhaps diagnosis was some time ago and they've done all of their
homework.  I don't know.  So, my intent was to give them a question
that they have either already dealt with or if not, it might give them
pause to learn more about PCa.  It was not meant to be a slap at LRP.

Now, in some of your posts points have been raised on the subject of
LRP vs. RRP.  To me LRP vs. RRP is something of an academic question.
I would just like to know, as best I can, the "truth" as to how these
two procedures compare today.  Then, other men making their decision
today will be able to make a better-informed decision.  So, as I
continue to discuss the topic with you, please bear in mind that I am
not criticizing your decision.

In my earlier post (http://groups.google.com/groups?q=author:oitbso%40yahoo.com&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&s
elm=1807c7b7.0402030817.413dff37%40posting.google.com&rnum=4),
I listed a number of peer-reviewed references that, in essence, say
the two procedures have similar morbities and outcomes.  Shorter
hospitalization, less blood, etc. are not supported by this data.  If
there is published data that I've missed that says otherwise, please
post the reference.  Also, I didn't say that LRP should be dismissed
for any reason, let alone newness ("It is rather silly to dismiss LRP
as an option based on it's relative newness").  My concern relative to
LRP has always been the lack of data commenting on its ability to
prevent biochemical recurrence of the disease beyond 3 years.  To me
this is significant.  I realize that it may be less significant to
others.  I also realize that factors other than morbidity and life
extension play a role in making our decisions.  That's why so many of
us with similar stats pick different treatments.  It is clear that
this can be a sensitive topic to discuss, so let me say once again
that relative to my comments on RRP vs. LRP I'm just trying to dissect
the data and draw conclusions based on peer-reviewed literature,
avoiding the ambiguities of personal testimony.  In no way am I trying
to second-guess anyone's personal decision regarding their treatment
selection...Ron

If someone can get into position for him, he might be able to handle one
set.  I think he will tire easily.

I haven't had LRP, but I was in the hospital with a roommate who had.
He had complications that kept him in the hospital for 4 days.

I suppose it's possible that your husband could play in the band,
but I think he'd be best off to cancel his participation now, without
waiting to see how he feels.

I'd be afraid that, on the night of the gig, he'd be torn between
staying home and going and might go out of some sense of
obligation.  Then when he gets there he might feel weak,
tired, pained, or sick, but feel that now he's committed
and has to go through with it.

Why should he put that kind of pressure on himself?

Cancer is no joke.  Treatment is no piece of cake.  He should
give himself permission to take it easy for a while and let other
people carry the burdens.

That's my 2 cents.

  Alan