Norhtern Calif Kaiser docs

Hi,
A couple of years ago we (my then SO and I) got very good information about Kaiser docs and the pros and cons of Davinci RP. My friend had it in August 2010 with Dr. Rosenbaum of Walnut Creek and is, by report, doing very well. Thank you for your help.

Now another friend (not computer savvy) has been diagnosed: 7.5 Gleason but he does not know the other details (have advised him to get them and given him a notebook and some literature) . His Kaiser urologist has recommended robotic RP with a Dr. Pesti at Oakland Kaiser for the procedure. My friend is seeing him this Thursday. Has anyone had experience with Dr Presti?

I suggested that my friend get more details about his case, and that he consider seeing other surgeons and docs for second and third opinions.

Wishing you all well and thanks for any suggestions.
SS

Comments

  • ralph.townsend1
    ralph.townsend1 Member Posts: 359 Member
    Davinci is great,BUT
    I think it matter's on the level of Gleason scores. If the doctor does not have enough surgery's perform you can't see everything with Davinci. My Doctor had to manually open me up, he might not seen all the cancer at Gleason 4+5, if he had done Davinci. He had over 500 surgery with Davinci. It had spread out the vessel bad and had to remove a lot of nerve and muscle! Sometimes you have to touch it with a real hand to know.

    Good luck and GOD bless!
  • rch
    rch Member Posts: 79

    Davinci is great,BUT
    I think it matter's on the level of Gleason scores. If the doctor does not have enough surgery's perform you can't see everything with Davinci. My Doctor had to manually open me up, he might not seen all the cancer at Gleason 4+5, if he had done Davinci. He had over 500 surgery with Davinci. It had spread out the vessel bad and had to remove a lot of nerve and muscle! Sometimes you have to touch it with a real hand to know.

    Good luck and GOD bless!

    SallySpencer
    Please clarify

    SallySpencer
    Please clarify for us his Gleason Score. The 7.5 sounds like PSA #,or did you mean GS 7.0 ?
    In any case, to answer your question, if the Surgeon's name is Joseph Presti, he recently transferred from Stanford Medical Center to Kaiser Oakland, or has a joint faculty appointment. He is the Chair at Stanford Urology and still holds a faculty appointment there.He is both nationally and internationally known for his pioneering work on prostate cancer. Does he perform his robotics at Walnut Creek or Santa Clara Kaiser? Also, please check as to how many robotics he has done over the years.I thought he was primarily an OPEN surgeon.
  • linedanz
    linedanz Member Posts: 1
    urology
    Hi SS:

    I had my cancerous prostate removed by Dr. Presti while he was at Stanford Hospital and I am very satisfied with the progress I made since then.

    Louie