I did a lot of research on surgeons to make sure I chose the best one I could find. I did not want anyone that was still on the learning curve. Rather, I wanted a surgeon that focused on radical prostatectomies, had performed thousands of RPs before mine, and not a "jack of all trades" that performs a plethora of different surgeries.

For me, it was Doctor Igor Frank, located at Mayo-Rochester. He was the second surgeon in the US to perform the robotic assisted RP and the first at Mayo. He has also been a trainer for other Mayo surgeons. Dr. Frank and his staff were absolutely incredible throughout the diagnosis, surgery, and follow-up. As you know, there is always a chance for surgical errors, unnoticed cancer outside the prostate, micro metastasis, etc... Given all these variables, I felt very confident with Dr. Frank and his ability to recognize potential issues and make the right decisions during the surgical procedure.

I know you are only two weeks out from surgery, but I would make certain your current surgeon is the best you can get. There are a lot of great surgeons out there, but also a lot of mediocre and bad surgeons. Your quality of life, for the rest of your life, will depend on the skills of your surgeon and his/her staff. I drove 4 1/2 hours each way to Mayo-Rochester. In my opinion, the 4 1/2 hour drive was not far at all. Even if I would have had to fly to get the best possible surgeon, I would have done that.

I am one year out from my RP and consider myself to be about 95% back to normal. ED and bladder control were not a problem for me, but I really was not that concerned about it. I was significantly more concerned with having the best possible chance to live 30+ more years with my wife.

Best of luck with your decision and please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Jim