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Posted 7/9/2011 12:53 PM (GMT -5)
It seems that the size of my prostate and my current urinary symptoms from BPH make me a poor candidate for radiation. Surgery will address both the cancer and the urinary symptoms. Does anyone have any opinions, good or bad, about particular surgeons in NYC? Any help will be appreciated.

Post Edited (FrackMe) : 7/9/2011 12:38:42 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/9/2011 2:47 PM (GMT -5)

Hey Frack,

I had a large prostate.  My urologist recommended that I try shrinking the prostate with hormones and then do Brachy.  I did my research, .... to make a long story short, I finally chose DaVinci.  I haven't been disappointed with the results; however, I have often wondered about the path not taken. 

The only negative I have is the need for oral meds/trimix because of ED.  Although this continues to get better .... slowly (knock on wood).

A positive from the surgery is the correction of the urinary problems ... as one of the modertors once stated, after surgery you will likely be able to push the deodorant puck up the back of the urinal.  I don't think this would have improved with Brachy.  Its nice to have cut my 10 minute stay in the rest room down to 30 seconds ... hmmm, maybe this is a positive quality of life benefit of surgery.

Anyhow, if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask ... someone will know the answer.

Posted 7/10/2011 6:49 AM (GMT -5)
Frack, when you say "NYC" do you mean Manhattan or any of the five boroughs? NYC is a big area to cover...have you considered surgery outside the city (such as at Yale New Haven in CT or Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco, NY or at Hackensack Medical Center in NJ)? There are lots of good surgeons in and around the City.

There are some who would say if you're talking about Manhattan, go to Memorial Sloan Kettering. But I also know that Columbia Presbyterian is as good as MSK for PCa. Hackensack Medical in NJ has an excellent reputation for prostate cancer treatment so that's another one you may want to consider. Have you gotten any recommendations from your urologist?
Posted 7/10/2011 8:27 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Sephie, I was thinking about Manhattan, but I can go anywhere. I know about the two big volume surgeons in Manhattan at Mt. Sinai and NY Presbyterian Cornell. Do you know who in particular at Columbia is the person to see?

I'm not totally convinced that robotic is superior to open surgery, so I would consider both. I'd like to hear opinions about that as well.

Thanks.
Posted 7/10/2011 9:29 AM (GMT -5)
IMO there is only one place to go in NYC and that would be Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. With exception to the some of the desk staff, the Nurses and Doctors there can't be out done. My treatment has been nothing but top notch, with some of the nicest, caring medical professionals I've been in contact with!
Posted 7/10/2011 9:54 AM (GMT -5)
Even at MSK (which I agree is a stellar institution), there is likely substantial variation among surgeons in terms of experience and, I would guess, outcomes. It is important to get the "right" doc, not just the right institution.
Posted 7/10/2011 11:30 AM (GMT -5)
Thanks sparrow hawk and medved,

I know that MSK has a great reputation, although people I know have had mixed feelings about the place. I think it is indeed the doctor that is most important.

It seems like for the robotic, the docs at Mt. Sinai and Cornell do the most and both have great reputations. Dr. Eastham at MSK does the open, I think and Dr. Lepor at NYU also does open.

I'm sure there are many other fine surgeons that I haven't heard about. At what point does one stop looking and just make a choice? Nothing about this is easy. At times I feel like I can handle it and at other times I feel so overwhelmed that I want to just scream.

Post Edited (FrackMe) : 7/10/2011 12:18:39 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/10/2011 2:39 PM (GMT -5)
Hey there Frack me, guess it might have helped some if I posted the Dr. name's who preformed my surgery: Karim A. Touijer, MD here's the link to his bio:
http://www.mskcc.org/prg/prg/bios/850.cfm
Nice, quite spoken gentleman, who treated me very well. He's also got a great bunch of nurses who work with him. Another thought on MSKCC is they have a number of research projects going on that you might like to take part in. Who know's your "donation" maybe the one that leads to a cure!
YOU and only YOU make the decision on whom will hold your life in their hands! I'm not saying you have to make this choice by yourself, but if there is any reason you don't feel the surgeon you pick is the one, don't go with him/her!
You have to be mentally prepared for surgery, have a well rounded knowledge of the type of surgery, it's risks, it's possible side effects and who'd doing it.
Posted 7/10/2011 3:55 PM (GMT -5)
Frack, at Columbia Presbyterian, the go-to-guy for prostate cancer is Ash Tewari. Another well-regarded prostate cancer surgeon is Jay Rosen at Hackensack Medial Center.

As to open vs. laprascopic, the surgeon usually decides which method they'll use depending on the individual's situation and physiology. My husband had robotic (laprascopic) but the surgeon told us from the beginning that he reserved the right to switch to open during the operation if he decided that would produce a better outcome.
Posted 7/11/2011 1:13 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks Sephie, Dr. Tewari is at NY Presbyterian -- Cornell. He has a stellar reputation, as does the other high volume robotic surgeon in NY, Dr. Samadi at Mt. Sinai. Both have done thousands of these surgeries and they both do about 15 a week.

As many here have said, you get one shot at the surgery and picking the best surgeon is paramount. How can we, as patients, really judge amongst doctors that have glowing reviews? Knowing what hangs in the balance makes this an agonizing decision.
Posted 7/11/2011 6:56 PM (GMT -5)
Frack, I agree...it's a very tough decision. My husband wanted to stay with our local uro/surgeon who has an excellent reputation "up north" (we're about 55 miles north of NYC). The doctor we chose, while not known by anyone here, is one of the best uro/surgeons in our area. He's a great guy and did a great job with my John.

FYI: I believe that NY Presbyterian is part of Columbia Presbyterian. The hospital overall has an excellent reputation and is easier to deal with on insurance matters than MSK.
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