Who removes the catheter? [Prostate Cancer Support]

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From: RonL on 2 Feb 2006 15:50

I ask because I just had a disconcerting visit with my local uro. I'd been
referred to him (on a township newsgroup) after my regular doc found
slightly elevated PSA. He's the one who did the biopsy, discussed (briefly)
the results with me, and did a follow-up cystoscopy (bladder is ok). But
he'd somehow struck me as a bit of a self-promoter, and I couldn't find info
anywhere about his ability/experience as a surgeon. So I had done a lot of
my own research and decided on RRP with a surgeon at MSK in NYC. I'm on his
surgical calendar for March. (I live in a Jersey suburb.) When I told him
this, he says "so why are you here?" I reminded him that the cystoscopy
discharge form had requested a follow-up appointment. But beyond that I
wanted to know whether I could still count on him as my local uro, eg. to
take out the catheter. In essence, he said "no." He says post op stuff is
the responsibility of the surgeon. Fair enough, but in my opinion, and my
wife's, he was annoyed that I had chosen another surgeon. He even tried to
disparage him at one point, thus scaring me more than I already am, and
reminded me about "all the time he'd already spent with me." (To my mind,
it wasn't a lot of time, and the couple times I tried to contact him or his
assistant, I had a heck of a time getting past his administrative staff.
Their phone system sometimes overflows to an answering service even when
they're *open*.) He said if I had an emergency, of course, "we'd try to
help you out, we're only human." He also indicated that he's always there
for later blood tests, etc. But his manner wasn't very friendly, and it
wasn't very supportive. He ended the interview abruptly.

I know some of you have traveled great distances for surgery. Surely you
didn't return just to have the catheter removed. Then again, you probably
didn't have it done by a local specialist whom you thought you'd alienated.
Would appreciate comments or advice.

Ron L (who sweats the small stuff, the big stuff, everything)
Dx 12/22/05, G(3+3) in 20% of 1 core out of 11, T1c, PSA 5.1, age 64

From: Steve Jordan on 2 Feb 2006 16:15

On February 2, RonL wrote:

(snip)
> I know some of you have traveled great distances for surgery. Surely
> you didn't return just to have the catheter removed. Then again, you
> probably didn't have it done by a local specialist whom you thought
> you'd alienated. Would appreciate comments or advice.
FWIW, I know a fellow whose wife removed the catheter -- after getting
some instruction from the medic's staff. Mainly need to make sure that
the balloon is deflated...

My suprapubic catheter was removed by the uro (who had botched my
cryosurgery, another story).

Regards,

Steve J

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm
happy to state I finally won out over it."
-- James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd in "Harvey"

From: Clarence Crow on 2 Feb 2006 16:25

On Thu, 2 Feb 2006 15:50:56 -0500, "RonL" <roughcut(a)comcast.net>
wrote:
<snip>
> I wanted to know whether I could still count on him as my local uro, eg. to
>take out the catheter. In essence, he said "no." He says post op stuff is
>the responsibility of the surgeon.
<snip>
In my primitive 'burb' d/under, we have a Continence Educator/Nurse
who supervised the voiding trials over 2 days and removed mine, plus
also gave me a brown bagful of DIYs plus another Foley if things got
bad. She's 5 mins drive from home :)
She also reports back to the Uro.

It's no "biggie" except a YELP when they draw the air out of the
balloon and then drag out the tube.

BTW: I'm having a Cystoscopy this morning to see if I can have another
TURP so I can pee reasonably after the HDRB in July 2005, where they
boiled and blistered my Candy-Melon sized 72cc Prostate beyond belief!

My PSA is currently Undetectable, but I'm looking for the 'bounce' say
6 mths on to see where and if it settles.

-- Reader to complete...
-- Please reply to this ng as my email adress is fake:

-- Regards

-- CC

From: Sandy K. on 2 Feb 2006 16:32

"RonL" <roughcut(a)comcast.net> wrote in message
news:WNGdneWOUo4t7X_eRVn-gg(a)comcast.com...
> I ask because I just had a disconcerting visit with my local uro. I'd
been
> referred to him (on a township newsgroup) after my regular doc found
> slightly elevated PSA. He's the one who did the biopsy, discussed
(briefly)
> the results with me, and did a follow-up cystoscopy (bladder is ok). But
> he'd somehow struck me as a bit of a self-promoter, and I couldn't find
info
> anywhere about his ability/experience as a surgeon. So I had done a lot
of
> my own research and decided on RRP with a surgeon at MSK in NYC. I'm on
his
> surgical calendar for March. (I live in a Jersey suburb.) When I told
him
> this, he says "so why are you here?" I reminded him that the cystoscopy
> discharge form had requested a follow-up appointment. But beyond that I
> wanted to know whether I could still count on him as my local uro, eg. to
> take out the catheter. In essence, he said "no." He says post op stuff
is
> the responsibility of the surgeon. Fair enough, but in my opinion, and my
> wife's, he was annoyed that I had chosen another surgeon. He even tried
to
> disparage him at one point, thus scaring me more than I already am, and
> reminded me about "all the time he'd already spent with me." (To my mind,
> it wasn't a lot of time, and the couple times I tried to contact him or
his
> assistant, I had a heck of a time getting past his administrative staff.
> Their phone system sometimes overflows to an answering service even when
> they're *open*.) He said if I had an emergency, of course, "we'd try to
> help you out, we're only human." He also indicated that he's always there
> for later blood tests, etc. But his manner wasn't very friendly, and it
> wasn't very supportive. He ended the interview abruptly.
>
> I know some of you have traveled great distances for surgery. Surely you
> didn't return just to have the catheter removed. Then again, you probably
> didn't have it done by a local specialist whom you thought you'd
alienated.
> Would appreciate comments or advice.
>
> Ron L (who sweats the small stuff, the big stuff, everything)
> Dx 12/22/05, G(3+3) in 20% of 1 core out of 11, T1c, PSA 5.1, age 64

Ron - I too live in the Jersey suburbs. My local uro diagnosed my PCa via
bloodwork and later biopsy. After hearing him tell me I had a 50/50 chance
of regaining potency, I decided to visit MSK in NYC. Dr. Scardino suggested
that I had a 90% chance or regaining potency - after getting rid of the
cancer and regaining continence. I too chose to have my RRP done at MSK. I
went back once after my surgery and Dr. Scardino's nurse removed my cath.
When I had told my local uro that I wasn't going to use him for my surgery,
but that I still considered him my uro, he said that when he was younger, he
got upset about such things. Now, he doesn't. He's my urologist for
everything - however, I did go into the city to have my cath removed.

Sandy K.
Diagnosed 2/2004 - age 47
9 of 12 cores malignant - Gleason 3+3, PSA 4.89
RRP 6/2004
Post RRP PSAs - all <0.01
Off pads at teh 3-month mark
regaining potency - however 50 mg V works wonders!!

From: Tom Cular on 2 Feb 2006 16:54

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