October 18, 2008

Dear reader:

I am a 60 year old physician who is about 6 weeks out from robotic prostatectomy performed by Dr. Kevin Slawin. For me it was important to have a rapid recovery time to resume work and still benefit from a successful operation which I believe robotic surgery provides.

Selection of a surgeon initially seemed somewhat stressful with recommendations coming from many sources. I got Dr. Slawin's name from a friend whose neighbor had this surgery earlier this year and he highly recommended him and his staff to me. After more information from his website at Vanguard Urology, much prayer, and after meeting with Dr. Slawin I felt confident and at peace with my decision for a robotic surgeon. Several aspects of Dr. Slawin's surgery were appealing to me. Not only excellent robotic experience [over 750 cases] but operating with the same assistant, John Dodge, PA-C for many years. Unlike some medical centers, Dr. Slawin limits his cases to 2 per day or about 6 per week and he can assure you he will do your surgery. I believe another advantage in reducing potential complications is his approach through the retroperitoneal space and not the intraperitoneal cavity.

My surgical and hospital experiences exceeded my expectations. My wife and I stayed in the Signature Suites at Memorial Hermann Hospital. We found the entire hospital staff from the nurses to the aides to be very friendly and competent. I was impressed with the anesthesiologist who took a detailed preop history and made a postop visit to answer any questions. The morning after surgery I was discharged with very little pelvic discomfort. When back home my family and friends were amazed at how well I was getting around and how well I looked. My cystogram was normal at 1 week and my catheter removed. Once the catheter was out I felt I had almost no limitations. Had I not taken vacation time to "recover" I could have returned to work on day 9 but started back on day 12 with no problems. My urinary leakage was not initially bad and improved daily with no leakage by postop day 17 and I've been without pads since. My recovery and rehabilitation are still in progress but I feel very fortunate so far.

I hope my experiences will help anyone facing this surgery and in their decision making process.

Wishing you, as well as Dr. Slawin, and his staff the best,

David Walker, MD
Robotic Prostate Surgery
Houston Texas
2008