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Posted 2/20/2017 5:53 PM (GMT -5)
I went up to visit my surgeon Dr. Vipul Patel's office last week for a PSA test and they told me he will hit the 10,000 milestone this week.

Ironically, the surgeon who installed my AUS was overseeing Dr. Patel's first surgery while at the University of Miami.

I believe my surgery was about #5,800 back in July 2012.

Congrats to Dr. Patel and his team for creating 10,000 prostate cancer survivors!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 2/20/2017 6:34 PM (GMT -5)
I saw your name and 10,000 and I had a flashback to the first MacDonalds sign i'd ever seen as a kid "Over a Million Served".

ed
Posted 8/31/2017 2:51 PM (GMT -5)
We had 2 urologists in Charleston tell us Patel is who they would use...the GI guy who did my husband's colonscopy last week said he knew of a MD who went to some "Guy " in Fla...3 is the number of emphasis...in some schools of thought...we are working now to get him done in FL...I spoke with his asst. Dr. Palmer...AMAZING!!! Hotel across the street with shuttle service...all rooms are suites with kitchens...AMAZING caring staff that I have spoken with so far...My husband is just at the 6 week post biopsy that revealed: Gleason 4+5 and a 3+3 and all others were negative...the problem is his PSA went from 4.1 to 5.3 in a year back in 2014 and our primary care didn't seem to think this was a problem. It wasn't until I took my husband for a testosterone check that the MD sent him straight away to a urologist. Anyone get the Lupron shot??
Thanks
Sue

Post Edited (psichedout) : 8/31/2017 1:55:12 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/31/2017 3:45 PM (GMT -5)

psichedout said...
..the problem is his PSA went from 4.1 to 5.3 in a year back in 2014 and our primary care didn't seem to think this was a problem.

Sorry, I just have to say it. Doctors, generally speaking, are idiots.
There are good ones, and great ines. But a lot of them are lucky that we don't have the option to be treated by baboons, because if we did, they'd be out of business.

It just p!sses me off when I see doctors who know less than we on an Internet forum do. mad
Posted 8/31/2017 3:47 PM (GMT -5)
I wonder what his bank balance looks like. Lol
Posted 8/31/2017 4:57 PM (GMT -5)
With that volume he must have other surgeons doing the actual cutting?
Posted 8/31/2017 5:40 PM (GMT -5)
What I heard was Patel was not at the console for the entire operation, I'm guessing he shuttles among whatever operating theaters he has. One critical question I had for my MD Anderson da Vinci surgeon was if he was going to be the only person at the console, and he had the right answer for me.
Posted 8/31/2017 8:12 PM (GMT -5)
I do like his amniotic sac operation (at least he's making an effort to improve), but I can't help but wonder if a plastic bag would accomplish the same thing. I do hope his patient profile includes fewer low risk guys over time. That's one of things I hope to hear when I ask the question - how has your practice changed over time?
Posted 8/31/2017 11:14 PM (GMT -5)
Patel works two operating rooms almost simultaneously with PA's, not MD's doing the opening, closing, wand inserting, prostate removal and bagging. He s very experienced and even more rushed.

I wonder when exhaustion and complacency set in. After spending a day in Celebration.....I passed.
Posted 9/1/2017 2:47 AM (GMT -5)
I do hear good things about him. A friend just had used him a couple weeks ago. I am not sure a big number is any sign of quality. Certainly, he is experienced but one can wonder if it becomes too routine? I have no answers or criticism; clearly, the choice of surgeon is a big one. However, he has helped many folks! Denis
Posted 9/1/2017 8:25 AM (GMT -5)
I'm not sure how Patel's practice works, but my guy in Philly has now done over 4,600 Da Vinci RP's. I went to him because of the experience factor. When attending a pre-surgery info session, I found out the he supervises some of the surgeries with residents doing the actual work (teaching hospital). After finding this out, it kind of worried me, so I dug a little deeper and asked some pointed questions. I did not want a beginner working on me even though he was being closely supervised by the expert. So, I reached out directly to the experienced surgeon and stated that the reason I was coming to him was because of HIS reputation for surgery, not HIS reputation for supervising. Only then did he tell me that he honors all requests for him to do the surgery. He assured me he would do my surgery start to finish. Afterwards I asked for the surgical report and it appears that he did do my surgery start to finish. I have not had any issues with incontinence and my ED is slowly resolving itself over time. I am satisfied so far.
Posted 9/1/2017 11:28 AM (GMT -5)
Experience certainly is of utmost importance. I knew the reputation of my surgeon prior to my surgery. He actually performed an open RP on my father more than 20 years ago. It was very successful. He had performed over 500 surgeries with the robot, and I'm sure many more open surgeries before the robot. I wanted to be sure that he was the only one at the console and he assured me that he would be the only one at the console. The surgery was very successful and I was immediately continent upon removal of the catheter. I was back to work 10 days after the surgery. 2 1/2 years after surgery I am very close to the same sexual performance level I was at prior to surgery. PSA is undetectable. I realize I am very fortunate and I am very grateful. While not wanting to detract from Dr. Patel's record, I'm glad my surgeon was actually performing the surgery and not just overseeing someone else at the console.

Post Edited (randallrrs) : 9/1/2017 11:16:41 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/1/2017 11:31 AM (GMT 0)
My surgeon did the critical parts of my surgery. We agreed that he would do the blunt and sharp dissection of my actual prostate and the anastomosis. I told him from the start that his resident was welcome to open, trocar me, get access to the prostate and close. I also said I was fine with him doing my pelvic node harvesting which I requested. Its all part of the informed consent process. Most likely it did cause a small increase in surgical time, but hay I had a great outcome.
Hero
Posted 9/1/2017 2:22 PM (GMT -5)
I specifically asked Dr. Ash Tewari about this, and he assured me that no one touches the console other than him. His staff do the opening and insert the tools, and then do the closing at the end after the prostate is already removed by him.

-Gedman
Posted 9/1/2017 2:24 PM (GMT -5)

gedman said...
I specifically asked Dr. Ash Tewari about this, and he assured me that no one touches the console other than him. His staff do the opening and insert the tools, and then do the closing at the end after the prostate is already removed by him.

-Gedman

Told me same,thing, pretty much word for word
Posted 9/1/2017 11:35 PM (GMT -5)

mattamx said...
I wonder what his bank balance looks like. Lol

Well, they charge an average of $8000, but Medicare only pays about $1700. So if all of his patients were MC, 1700 * 10,000 = 17,000,000. I think that is 17 million. Increase that figure by a lot for however many patients he has with good private insurance. Now how much of that he has in the bank, who knows.

Plus, he will have have expenses such as a 100K per year malpractice premium, and probably office expenses, if the hospital does not cover most of that because of the vast amount of money he brings in to the hospital. However, you can rest assured that doing the RPs is not his only source of income, as he gets paid to see people in his office for a variety of reasons. ( including follow up over the years for the surgery or PSA checks, and maybe for complications.) And if he is a typical URO surgeon, there are probably other surgeries he does. Relatively minor procedures like cystoscopies or vasectomies and circumcisions and such can be significant money makers. So that money would help cover any expenses.

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/827814
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