Robotic prostatectomy: a patient's perspective
– William Lane

William Lane from Buckinghamshire was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He describes his experience of robot-assisted surgery and the importance of raising awareness of prostate cancer.

“In August 2009 I went for a regular company health check which showed my cholesterol was a little high. I was advised to improve my fitness then go to my GP for another test six months later. My GP told me my cholesterol had come down a little but he was a bit concerned about my PSA. I didn’t know I was having a PSA test, but I will always be incredibly grateful to my GP for being so thorough.

“At that stage, I saw Mr Laniado. My PSA was 4.1 and 3.8 and he felt the odds were in my favour. I was only 48. I then had a PCA3 test and full body MRI scan and then a biopsy was recommended. That biopsy in July 2010 showed I had a fairly aggressive tumour with a Gleason score of seven.

“Of course it was a huge shock, but when I saw Mr Laniado, I felt quite reassured. He said because of my age, a prostatectomy would be the most appropriate option and new technology means the operation is far less invasive with fewer complications than before. I also saw an oncologist which was the most depressing meeting I have ever had in my life. He said the fact that it is prostate cancer does not matter – it is still cancer – and prostatectomy is only one option. He said I may have the operation but need to see an oncologist and consider other options three months later. I felt my lifespan suddenly shorten in that moment.

“I chose a da Vinci prostatectomy and had the operation three months ago. I remember waking up after the operation in some discomfort and pain and then was given pain killers. Looking back, that was the only time when I felt any pain whatsoever. The next day, I was up and walking around. When my family came to visit, they were amazed about how well I was recovering from surgery. I spent two nights in hospital then went home.

“The day after I got home, I walked half a mile to town then back again to get a bouquet of flowers for my wife’s birthday. She said ‘Please tell me you didn’t walk all that way and carry them?’ But I felt strong enough and the speed of recovery was so different to what I had expected. I was back in the gym about three weeks after surgery.

“I brought some incontinence pads home from hospital but I didn’t need to use a single one. Nor did I need any painkillers. In fact overall, I had more pain and discomfort from the biopsy than from the operation. There is the fear of impotence and if you go on the internet, it can scare you to death reading about the problems people experience. I was very fortunate and a bit surprised to find I had an erection when I woke up one morning in hospital. You read that it can take a year for erectile nerves to recover but for me it was much quicker than that. I do feel that clearly Mr Laniado is very skilled at what he does and I tried to ensure I was as fit as possible when I went into surgery.

“At 12 weeks post op, my PSA was the optimal <0.01. Up until that point, even though my recovery was going really well, I still had the oncologist’s voice in my head sowing seeds of doubt.

“My own experience has left me feeling very strongly that prostate cancer is so far under the radar compared with breast cancer. If it wasn’t for the fact that my GP was very thorough, I would have been left with an invisible, aggressive tumour for several years and developed an incurable cancer. PSA tests are only routinely included in health screening after the age of 50. I hope more men will understand the importance of having a PSA test and in the worst case scenario, if they need treatment, the robotic prostatectomy offers a really good option and the recovery is far better than I expected.”

Read more

▸ The da Vinci prostatectomy for prostate cancer
▸ PSA testing for prostate cancer