Important Information As You Make Your Decision

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN THE SURGEON YOU CHOOSE?

Studies have shown that outcomes from surgery are not only dependent on the total experience of the surgeon but the regularity with which he continues to perform the operation. For prostate surgery studies have quoted a minimum of 40 cases per year as a number a surgeon needs to perform to achieve consistent outcomes in the top tier of national results.

HOW DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER SURGERY?

Ask your doctor to provide you with names and phone numbers of patients he has operated on to call. Talk to these people and get a feel for what it was like to go through that procedure. Our team has a list of dozens of patients who have volunteered to have their phone numbers given out so they can be called by those individuals considering daVinci surgery. You can also visit with the local chapter of Us Too (a prostate cancer support group) to speak with patients that have had all forms of treatment with perfect and less than perfect outcomes. Their stories can be helpful in allowing you to make a fully informed decision. Mike Jones is the chapter leader in Austin and his phone number is available to you if you are interested in speaking to him or attending a meeting.

SO MANY OUTCOMES SOUND SO SIMILAR. HOW DO I CHOSE?

It is true that many treatments for prostate cancer carry similar cure rates. However, the side effects a treatment can result in, the ability to fix those side effects if they occur, and ability to treat a cancer that comes back differs greatly between treatments. Don’t just go for what sounds “easy”. Learn what your chances of success are but also learn what less than perfect outcomes can occur and how fixable they are.