"not suffer the barbaric side effects of surgery"

This kind of alarmist nonsense is really a disservice to reality in general & medicine in particular, but it sells because of the general (& unjustified) fear of surgery in much of the population.

I had robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy five years ago, & it was a "nothing burger". I've had routine dentist cleaning visits that were worse. I woke up with five tiny (about the size of a dime) bandages across my beltline, & NO PAIN. I walked that night in the hospital. In the morning they removed a couple tubes and told me to get dressed & go home.

I did my usual 1.5 mile walk the next day & drove the day after that. Never a hint of any pain.

Now, here's the real kicker: THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WHO HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH SURGERY!

I did have carry (under my clothes) a catheter to a urine drain bag for week. That was a minor inconvenience, but it was removed in an office visit a week later (also no pain).

I was 75 at the time, so my surgeon suggested radiation. I preferred the precision of the knife & selected the surgery anyway.

I wasn't disappointed. No incontinence, then or now. I can always add radiation later (but didn't), but you can't do the reverse.