How does a prospective patient interpret “experience?”
In my experience, most patients have three main priorities concerning their treatment outcomes, usually in the following order: 1) to survive prostate cancer 2) to recover urinary continence, and 3) to recover erections. This threesome has been called achieving the trifecta. Of course, men have other secondary priorities, such as the discomforts associated with treatment, the time required for recovery, and the time to return to normal activities. All of these priorities are important, and different surgeons (and different treatments) vary in achieving them. Few surgeons keep accurate tabulations of their outcomes. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that high-volume surgeons generally (but not always) achieve better results. One practical solution for the prospective patient is to be diligent in finding out about the experience and reputation of the surgeon. He should also ask the surgeon to provide the contact information of 4 or 5 of his or her patients who have had good outcomes (
