MA-RARP (Modified Anterior Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy)

I apologize to you and everyone who reads/contributes here for my fatalistic comment, but what I have found in my own journey, and that of reading about everyone else's journey - with their unexpected detours off of what we/they thought was a straight path to recovery - is (quoting a famous movie line): "You can do what you want, but the outcome will be the same."
I have read SO MANY stories of men being surprised by their surgical pathology report that revealed so much more than their initial biopsy that was paired with a lower Gleason Score. I have read of men, who after 5 - 10 years of no sign of post-RP disease what so ever, offer that their cancer has returned, even though there was no identified Extraprostatic Extension or Surgical Margins documented in their surgical pathology report years before. I have read of men who, after RP surgery, had to go through radiation therapy, and yet five years after that, their cancer return anyway, so now they are on ADT. And so it goes.
So, my message is: to keep yourself emotionally balanced. Find a top university-based medical center where the best research and cutting-edge surgical techniques are happening, and travel there for your surgery. That is your best hope, but...that said..."stuff" can still happen years later that will leave you reeling. That is why this blog exists with all of us who read and contribute.
I have offered this many times before but: This blog is for the "unlucky ones"...the ones who had something unexpectedly "go wrong." The "lucky ones" who had clean surgeries, prostate-confined cancer, and restored ability to urinate and have sexual intercourse within a reasonable amount of time after surgery, are "not" in this blog. We are the exceptions...the outliers...the "unlucky ones," whose disease took their unexpected twists and turns, and just keeps coming back. So, my hope is that we here, will never hear from you again because everything went well for you. But should you return to us, well...we'll all be here for a while telling our unexpected and insane stories of "the latest" that has now happened in the next phase of our journey.
BTW...The movie: "A Passage to India" (1984). The quote spoken by an Indian mystic who tries to calm the extreme anxiety of a native Indian man who obligingly/submissively gave his own rear shirt collar stay to a visiting, high-level Englishman who was missing his. The panicked Indian man knows that he will be seen in public without a rear collar stay, and he will be ostracized for it in 1920's Indian society. He is in a total panic, and the Indian mystic calmly says: "You can do what you want, but the outcome will be the same." Somewhat humorous, while being true. You can drive yourself crazy with worry, but in simplest re-stated terms: "what will be, will be", and you just have to take it as it comes. Good luck.

@heavyphil Thanks for your support and feedback. My wife and I hear you. We have been weighting in the tradeoffs of each approach, but we realize the surgeon's skill, experience, and my rapport with the doctor is critical. Can you share with me your experience with finding the right doctor? We have working with hospitals and making appointments to meet with surgeons. It seems like a "hit and miss" process. And often this process feels random, time consuming, ineffective, and the collection of these "introduction" appointments are getting expensive.

@jeffmarc
Hi, I believe this is called a dorsal hood approach, and the doctor at UCSF we are consulting with does this. His recommendation to us is 'robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (single port daVinci robot) and he is a potential candidate for nerve sparing (dorsal hood approach)'. We are also considering EBRT, without ADT, because he is intermediate risk with a low Decipher score.

@nelsjenn
Where you live is a big factor. If you wanna know where good places to get treatment are in your area let us know where you live.

@rlpostrp Thanks for the response. I hear what you are saying. I am no stranger to cancer as I was diagnosed with bladder cancer a few years back. After two TURBs and several BCG infusions, I thought I was leaving the cancer thing behind me.... then this prostate cancer comes along.... (a blank, emotionless, stare into space....)

@jeffmarc We are living in the Bay Area--- and we are familiar with UCSF. Regardless, feedback on good places to get treatment would be appreciated. Thanks for the support and care.

@jeffmarc We are living in the Bay Area--- and we are familiar with UCSF. Regardless, feedback on good places to get treatment would be appreciated. Thanks for the support and care.