| Dr. M. Ritch, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies |
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By submitting this information, I write not only to compliment you and your wonderful staff, but also to advise patients with prostate cancer, from my region, the Caribbean, of the benefits of robotic prostatectomy.
In the summer of this year I discovered that my PSA had increased to 4 ng/ml and was 2.7, two years ago. A biopsy was done by my urologist in Jamaica, Dr. Robert Wan, and this came back positive with a combined Gleason score of 6.
On his advice, I made contact with Dr. Samadi to perform a laparoscopic robotic prostatectomy.
We first met at his outpatient clinic and my wife and I were very impressed by your non-assuming attitude, confidence and reassurance that all would go well.
After that my anxiety for the upcoming surgery was almost totally allayed and did become complete when Dr. Bass, the anaesthetist, insisted that I should not worry as I would be taken very good care of. One hour and forty five minutes later and after only 50 c.c. of blood loss, I woke up in recovery with what I considered moderate pain.
Your very competent recovery room nurse however instructed that I should receive pain medication. My stay in hospital was one night.
During my stay I was visited, round-the-clock, by very pleasant, professional nurses, your resident doctors and yourself.
After discharge I walked from my bed to the taxi that was to take me to my son's apartment.
As with this sort of surgery a urethral catheter was left in place and, in five days post op, it was removed.
At that time, I was about 80% continent and six weeks after surgery , I am 100 % continent.
Before returning to Jamaica, you discussed with me and my family, your total satisfaction with my surgery and described all the pathological findings and, in particular, reassured me that there was no spread. We are all very impressed by your gentle manner and complete professionalism. I returned to work twelve days after surgery and also started walking in the evenings for exercise. A prostatectomy, by any technique, is extensive surgery and there is a lot of normal fluid (serous exudate) that develops within the abdomen, but the body quickly responds to absorb it.
I repeated my PSA, five weeks post operatively and it was 0.06 ng/ml, a very acceptable level.
You have advised that regular PSA checks have to be done every 3 months during the first year, I must commend you on your excellent staff and your nurses, which offers patients pre and post operative advice as well as much more information.
Not all patients will qualify for robotic prostatectomy but, for those who do, I highly recommend them to seek your advice and approach surgery without fear as your expertise in this area is unparallel, as far as I am concerned.
My very best regards,
Dr. M. Ritch.
Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies
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