How important is fast removal vs. good doc?

9 years 4 months ago #47725 by Alan
Ginny,

FWIW if my memory serves me properly, I believe Mass General has a great reputation dealing with bladder cancer.

DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.

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9 years 4 months ago #47704 by Hudsongrl
Replied by Hudsongrl on topic How important is fast removal vs. good doc?
So glad you are with a doc you have confidence in Ginny. My husband felt pretty good after his TURBT. He was tired but able to do normal activities. Resumed work within a week.

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9 years 4 months ago #47701 by ginny
Hi and thank you to everyone who encouraged me to wait for a doctor I liked. I'm having the TURB at Mass General in Boston with a very experienced surgeon.
I'll let you know results when I do?
What can I expect to feel like afterwards? Doctor says 5 days out of work - but will I be cleaning closets or lying in bed?

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9 years 4 months ago #47699 by Hudsongrl
Replied by Hudsongrl on topic How important is fast removal vs. good doc?
Ginny, my husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer Dec. 2012 by a creepy uro just like yours. Hubby thought the guy was ok, but, he did 30 bladders a year. I wanted a true specialist, and found an oncologist/ urologist at Northwestern in Chicago. He does lover 200 cases of bladder cancer a year plus teaches students.

We had to wait a couple weeks longer to get the surgery scheduled, but it was worth the wait. The skill of thesurgeon doing the TURBT is very important. You want it done "right".

If doc #1 feels wrong by all means get the other opinion. You need to feel comfortable and confident with your uro.

Best of luck to you!

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9 years 4 months ago #47472 by Cynthia
Replied by Cynthia on topic How important is fast removal vs. good doc?
I faced a.situation similar to yours ten years ago. I so wanted the thing out I went with a Uro who I knew was uncaring. What followed was a nightmare that only ended when I went to a doctor and facility that dealt with a high volume of bladder cancer. Remember skill can save you a lot of time and pain. You need someone who will get good margins who knows the ends and outs because that is what they do all the time. You also need a facility that have pathologists that see a lot of bladder cancer there again experience counts.Studies find that outcome is better when you see a doctor and use a facility who does a high volume of bladder cancer. My Father always told me that if it did not feel right don't, good advise I have always found.

Cynthia Kinsella
T2 g3 CIS 8/04
Clinical Trial
Chemotherapy & Radiation 10/04-12/04
Chemotherapy 3/05-5/05
BCG 9/05-1-06
RC w/umbilical Indiana pouch 5/06
Left Nephrectomy 1/09
President American Bladder Cancer Society

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9 years 5 months ago #47468 by Nicke
Hi,
I know how you feel. I had to wait 35 days for my first TURB a the waiting was terrible. One way to go for you could be to let the creepy one perform the TURB in Dec. and later when you got the path report go and see the other uro. The TURB (removale) is a minor surgery an a easy standard procedure. The impotent part is when the path report is back to discuss how to proceed.

Niklas

12-12 Diagnosis
13-1 Turb TAG1
13-5 Turb Ta low grade, multiple
13-10 Turb TaG2, multiple
13-11 Mitomycin 8 weeks + 6 month
15-01 Turb

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