I recently underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery to remove my prostate. While my PSA was less that 4.0, it had moved up 0.8 of a point (2.4 to 3.2) from the previous year, which caused my primary care physician to send me to a urologist. This led to a biopsy, and with Gleason scores of six and seven, surgery or external beam radiation were the best options. I elected surgery, which went very well, and I was home and moving around the next day.

After one week, I was walking about one mile in the neighborhood. The catheter was removed 10 days after surgery; since then I have experienced very little leakage, remaining dry most of the time, especially at night. I have a little incontinence late in the afternoon and early evening, if I am very active and moving around on my feet. After two weeks I returned to my office for a few hours to take care of paper work. Within three weeks I was back at my work and teaching in the evenings. My erectile function began to return and is gradually improving. At five weeks I returned to the gym for light workouts with weight machines.

My recovery from robotic- assisted laparoscopic surgery has been remarkable –even better than I imagined. Dr. Kevin Slawin and his assistants are at the top of their game with prostate surgery – very competent and professional. I am grateful to them and thankful for the current state of advanced prostate surgery at the Scott Department of Urology - The Baylor Prostate Center in Houston, Texas.

Eugene Chiappetta
Seven Weeks After Surgery
Houston, Texas
November 22, 2006