Hello everyone,i am four days post RARP,i thought i would share my very rare (Apparently) experience.Went to the doctors in May for non related condition,whilst there i said i have never had a PSA check,im 58 and asked to have it done mainly because of the Chris Hoy story,my GP was happy to oblige,two days later i was called to come into see her to be informed PSA 12,two days later MRI...PI-RADS 4. Biopsy two weeks later,then the dread filled wait for results witch turned out to be T2/T3A Gleason 3+3 large tumor they couldn't tell if it had brocken through or not !!! MDT advises Active Surveillance.I told the very caring and reassuring Cancer nurse that i would like to see a Surgeon as i would prefer surgery,a week later i see a consultant.Vety dismissive of my case,i voiced my concern of the size of the Tumor and the fact they couldnt tell if it was T2 or TS,he still pushed for Active Surveillance and another Biopsy i 4 months.I left there feeling really upset scared and Angry,i got home and thought sod this,rang the Cancer Nurse and voiced my concerns,low and behold i had another Biopsy 6 weeks later this time targeted the tumor area revealing Gleason now 3+4 all cores from targeted area 4 with 20% Cribirform. MDT now advises treatment,i saw a different wonderfull Consultant discussed surgery,and was duly put on theatre list,date came through very quickly 2nd Sept.Come the dreaded day i went in at 11 and went into theatre at 1 last thing i remember is sitting on the slab being given a Spinal block,lying down mask on and that was it.I awoke to a very strange sensation in my hands,i kept saying that i couldn't feel anything and a terrible Burning sensation.To cut this long story short it turns out that my surgery too over 4 hours as i had some fibrosis around the prostate,and the little sod didn't want to come out!!!!!!Due to the amount of time spent in the reclined Trendelenburg position i had compression of the Brachial Plexus on both sides,this is a very rare occurance,my consultant imformed me he had never seen it and he has done hundereds of RARP's i think they were worried as the Neurological team was called and did various tests and i had to have an MRI,I had no strenght in my hands and couldnt grasp anything due to numbness,i have been told it is severe nerve compression,but no lasting damage but will take a few months to fully heal.The funny thing is it made me hardly aware of any abdominal pain,and my dreaded cathater,since coming home it has improved and i do have some feeling coming back,i have been contacted daily by the hospital checking up on me,apart from that drama my consultant was happy with the op and is confident he got it all ,next stop Pathology report,and the dreaded first PSA test.
