"He said my husband’s age precluded surgery. My husband is a very healthy 83. We don’t know where to turn next. "

Don't accept that. Most people your husband's age are dead. He isn't.

That's what my surgeon told me (at age 75), & recommended radiation. I was having none of that, & he did the robotic laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. No pain, no side effects (I did opt for non-nerve sparing, but that's a different issue), & I resumed normal activities the day after hospital release. Five tiny slits in my belt line which have long since disappeared.

Find a surgeon who has confidence in his skills.

Same thing when my mother broke her arm at age 95. "We don't set arms that old." She was still walking at 100 & lived to be 103.

Modern geriatric medicine needs to catch up with modern life expectancy.