Wait time for robotic surgery

Archives1

Staff member
Gleason score of 8 scans are clear for spread, how long can I wait to schedule surgery? Will 3 or 4 months make a difference?
 
It takes about 2 months to get it scheduled in my area, so go ahead and plan on a date with your doctor. This is a question for your doctor.
 
Get 'er done. Don't listen to people who say it's slow spreading, for they are ignorant. Prostate cancer is the #2 killer of men from ages 70-79!!
A Gleason of 8 is high, mine was 7 in 3 spots.
When they took it out it was still encapsulated but barely. I had put off the biopsies all summer so i could have a good summer kayakibg etc before i might find bad news. My psa was on 4.3. But my biopsy in Nov was a gleason of 7 and I couldnt get it down fast enough!
It still took me 2 1/2 months to get robotic on Feb 5, 2020 , 2 days after my 72nd birthday. Had I procrastinated then that very well could have escaped the capsule and my life would be much different. Had i procrastinated then my surgery would have been postponed months due to Covid-19 and it could have spread.
G
GET IT DONE NOW. NOW. Then after it's do something fun. I ALMOST WAITED TO LONG; I WAS A DENYING DUMBASS
 
My Gleason was 6 and I had surgery as soon as I could back in august. Personally, I wanted it out as soon as I knew cancer was there. Your question is really best answered by your doctor.
 
I agree get it done ASAP. I had to wait to have surgery due to having a quadrupal bypass. When I could have surgery it had grown oand out of capsule involving bladder . That is why I have the incontinence problem.
Good Luck
God Bless
 
As the others have said, get the operation as soon as you possibly can, that way there'll obviously be less chance of the cancer spreading......Just do it!
 
Unless there is a major reason to wait such as insurance, I suggest getting done as soon as possible. I know some area's of the country are taking more time because of covid-19.

My biopsy was postpone due to covid-19. Waiting to get test and procedures schedule may actually take longer.

I had my MRI on June 25, biopsy on August 5, CT and Whole Body Bone Scan (making sure it did not spread and having a snapshot of my body to compare to in the future.) on August 19, 2020, heart stress test on August 28, hospital pre-op on Sept 11 to get to Robotic assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy on Sept 24, 2020. I spent 2 nights in the hospital. Typically my urologist only does one night, but I had more blood in my urine than he was comfortable with sending me home.

I went through jumping the hoops with my other doctors and was able to get it done in 6 weeks.
 
My Doctor had offered me the option of waiting, but I insisted on getting it over with. Glad I did, one of of the tumors not picked up in the biopsy was trying to push its way out of the prostate into the facia. I am waiting now for a blood test in 4 weeks to make sure they got it all. Good luck,
 
After my biopsy results, my urologist recommended removal. I don't remember my exact score, but it was up there. I asked about radiation treatment. Was told if radiation wasn't successful, any future surgery would be difficult. The other option is wait and see. So I agreed to removal as the lesser of the evils. Maybe I am a bit naive, but I did not have the strong reaction I read here. But I can say this, I've had four PSA tests since surgery and all come back 'undetectable'. That helps support my decision which I have questioned. They say most men, if they live long enough, will die with prostate cancer. But on the other hand, I keep reading about men who died 'from' prostate cancer. And many are younger than me (70). Recovery has had it difficulties but I've learned to live with it. Good fortune.
 
56vw, Im not sure what you mean by "strong reaction" you read here. From my friends who have survived, and two of them had to have post prostectomy radiation, I put the question to them, that if they could do it over what would they have done? I got a definitive answer of "I would do it the same way again" (radical prostectomy) My surgeon ALSO said that radical surgery of the PROSTATE is much more difficult if it has been treated with radiation beforehand. I don't know but I am guessing that the beam therapy can target cancer in the other places it has spread to without MAJOR risk. Both guys who had the radical, and the post target beam are alive today and cancer free. The guy who decided to wait and see, died in 9 months and miserably In May of this year. Talk about a wake up call for me! My Brother beat it with target beam and is cancer free. My grandfather died from it in 1957 but he was 87 and the options weren't there that are there today. Throw that at an ll year old kid (me at the time)in a nursing home that smelled like everybody there peed on the floor So I knew it was in my DNA.
 
Another thing to consider. If you have just one spot, maybe radiation. More than one then things are really out of control and i would have radical prostatectomy.

There are other factors to consider, I am sure, such as age gleason index, etc.
 
Get it treated as soon as you can, whatever treatment you and your doctor determine is best for you. It WILL NOT GET BETTER. It only moves in one direction and that is spreading, whether it be within the Prostate or escaping. Once it spreads outside that changes everything in and increases the severity of your diagnosis. It never improves and while "watchful waiting" has been a choice for some, I personally believe that today's available treatment options are so much better than even a decade ago and watchful waiting should only be a serious consideration for those of the most advanced age. My 2 cents, your doctor can best guide you on your specific situation relative to severity, but as noted here, nothing related to the disease gets better with time. Best of luck!
 
Yep, get rid of cancer - any kind of cancer - ASAP. This also goes for women with any kind of reproductive cancer (lucky us; there are five kinds we can get).
 
When I said 'strong reaction' I was referring to how definitive some of the respondents were about going forward with the surgery. I wasn't like that when I decided. I probably could have said it different and clearer. Appreciate the feedback.
 
I see. I don't think anyone is sitting in Judgement of any decision one has make when one get this kind of news from his or her doctor. I didnt WANT to have to agree with Mlrichards a year ago, and my DR was ok with with watching it. First time I did an override on her advice. Neither of us knew of course, how much it had advanced, and now we do. So yeah, I am going to react strongly given my experience. I can also tell you that my fears about the process itself were completely obliterated by the wonderful care I got, both pre and post op. I was never in any pain, except from the CO2 that wanted to work its way out too slowly, and that I was not aware of until it hit me a couple of times at the tail end of a dose of pain killer. No sudden moves and a heating pad close by became my friend!
 
I had robotic, no pre op adheasions and it wasnt all that painful unless you touched parts. I had great care as well, but its no cake walk. Ive had 20 surgeries, some major, some minor. Its ranks #6, but not a bad 6! I would do it again, no question
 
Doug, did anyone give you a clue as to what might be left in there?. I know they stretched out my urethra, as it is draining whenever it wants to, If something is supposed to heal up and get my continence back, aside from pelvic floor muscles, I am not getting many answers.
 
I had 2 previous bph laser surgeries and 3 stone removal procedures thru the urethra so I prnly had a lot of trauma over the prvious 10 yrs. My robotic surgeon was optimistic that i had both bladder sphincters or at least that I would sleep thru the night.
So I've been stretched and tugged a bit. Still , I am better monthly and go thru 1-2 partially full pads a day.
I also had some bladder diverticuli that means once i go it can partially fill from the diverticuli.
Add to that nerve trauam or damage due to surgery.
Does that answer your question. My case wasn't garden variety
 
You must log in or register to post here.
Back
Top