Until a couple of years ago, urologists were required to publish their data for RP on the BAUS website - a couple of the big egos ignored the requirement but almost everyone else did it. Then last year, we all realised that the data had been mysteriously removed from the website and has never reappeared so the only way to find out is to ask the urologist.
Ideally, what you want to know is:
- how many RPs did s/he do last year and the year before
- what % of those had positive margins
- what % require adjuvant RT
- what % go on to have biochemical recurrence and require salvage RT within 2 or 5 years
- what % are continent at the 12 month mark
- what % can get a natural erection at the 12 month mark which is firm enough for penetrative sex
- what % can get an erection firm enough for penetrative sex with the aid of medication by the 12 month mark
If you are asking these kinds of questions, important to be clear about language if you are given broad responses. The NHS defines a man as continent if he is using one pad per day or less at 12 months post-op, and recovering erectile function is the ability to get an erection either naturally or with chemical / mechanical help ... it doesn't include whether the erection is hard enough for penetration.
Also, your surgeon may not have all this data as some don't see their patients again after the 6-week post-op check up and some see their patients but don't always ask them to complete the BAUS quality of life questionnaire.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Getting a reply like that from Lyn, is why this site is such a great place. I'm glad you found it.
I was lucky enough to be privy to my surgeon's track record before it was deleted. You are doing the right in trying to establish how good your chosen man is.
Adrian
User
My surgeon is a lady - for some weird reason that made me far more comfortable about the whole thing.
User
I'd have been far more comfortable if a female had done my DREs, rather than the man who had hands like shovels.
User
My gynaecologist and obstetrician were both male and I had a male midwife for one oc the pregnancies. John has a female ED nurse. We are both of the attitude that gender is rather irrelevant when you want expertise
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
These are really great questions but I find it hard to believe that even the number of RP's performed during each year is not available.