I had surgery for this condition almost 4 years ago at the age of 78. I had confidence in my surgeon and must say that I came thru it with flying colors. I also had no support to speak of as I lived alone but did have a couple of nurse visits for about 3-3 weeks. I had my surgery done at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and can state that it was a wonderful experience. Rest assured, if you have confidence in your doctor and are at a place like Mayo you will be fine. Hope this helps your wondering.