Hi Velise, I certainly appreciate your concerns regarding the difficulty of doing surgery in a previously radiated area; and the fact that your surgeon has expressed concern only adds more stress.
The only question I have is this: Is your surgeon the BEST POSSIBLE one to be doing this procedure, or is he simply a urologist who does prostatectomies and the occasional ‘salvage’ surgery?
This is a very difficult surgery and complications are both common and unforeseen.
It may take you a while, but you MUST find someone who does a LOT of these procedures. Travel if you must, but a Gleason 9 within a fibrotic surgical field is something only a urological surgeon experienced in salvage surgery should tackle.
Don’t get me wrong, your surgeon may be the most caring, compassionate and conscientious doctor you’ve ever met; but it does NOT mean he can do this unless he’s done it many times before. Best,
Phil