Patient Living a Cancer-Free Life after Radical Prostatectomy Surgery

Old age comes with a variety of medical issues. Some we can control, others we cannot. When these medical issues start disrupting even normal activities like going for a piss, it takes away the peace of mind. When I saw my father struggling through normal activities like urinating, it broke my heart. He was not able to go anywhere with confidence as he always felt like responding to nature’s call, things got a bit worse when it started affecting the results of kidney function test. What seemed just like a case of less water intake, turned out to be cancer of the prostate gland. Most of the symptoms of this disease people ignore as these camouflage with those of urinary tract infection or prostate gland enlargement. This is when we found the best possible treatment in the form of radical prostatectomy. Dr. Mohan Keshavamurthy Top Robotic Urologist in India gave almost new life to my father by giving him the best solution on time withthe Cost of Radical prostatectomy in India that was really cheaper that we couldn’t think of.

Oh, I am sorry! I just started babbling about my story without introducing myself. I am the son of a doting father who faced the problem of prostate cancer when he was in his fifties. His name is Francis and I am Keith. We live in the coastal part of Florida. It is the city where people come for vacations and enjoying warm weather. My father is diabetic and he faces the problem of frequent urination. He was managing his condition quite well. However, one day he complained that passing urine was causing a lot of pain and burning sensation. He ignored it thinking that have cut on water intake. But when increasing water intake also did not help, he went to see the doctor. I don’t know what prompted me to do so, but I accompanied him on this visit to see the doctor. He otherwise manages all things alone and does not depend on anybody for menial tasks like going to a doctor.

So, when we went to see the doctor, he asked us many questions like:

• What was the frequency of urination?
• Did my father notice any swelling too?
• Is there any feeling that bladder is not completely empty even after urinating?
• Has he faced the problem of erectile dysfunction too?

My father told the doctor that he tends to go for a piss about 7-8 times a day. Sometimes, even during the night, sleep is disrupted due to an uncontrollable urge to pee. He did not notice any swelling. He did confide that he was facing erectile dysfunction issues. The doctor just gave him a few antibiotics and sent us back. He completed the course, but to no relief. He got very alarmed one day when the urine had a reddish tinge. We got back to the doctor about the same. So, he asked us to get certain tests done, which were:

• Ultrasound
• PSA levels investigation test
• Urine test

When the PSA levels test’s report came, the results were alarmingly high. Our doctor advised us for further investigations like CT scan, MRI scan and certain bone scans. He hinted at the possibility of cancer and wanted to ascertain if cancer has restricted only to the prostate gland and not affected other nearby portions. We did not want this to be true and prayed helplessly hoping all tests to be negative. But luck did not favor us. Our doctor told us that he did have prostate cancer and referred to a cancer specialist. He checked all the reports and prescribed us radical prostatectomy surgery.

We first enquired about this surgery in the hospitals in our city. The experience was horrifying given the long waiting list. We felt like we were sitting on a ticking bomb and did not have any courage to wait for about six months, the waiting time given to us by the hospital in our city. With a heavy heart, we came back home. I was completely devastated thinking about losing my father. Not this way, at least, this is what I used to think. My father is such a kind soul, always ready to help others; how can something so miserable can happen to me? All these negative thoughts kept me awake at night. I started looking for alternatives over the web and came across the term ‘medical tourism in India’. I somehow forgot about it due to some pre-occupations.

One day I was talking to my friend about my father’s condition. He told us that medical tourism in India is a beautiful concept. Millions of people from all over the world are visiting this country for getting the surgery done at the earliest. The medical tourism companies take care of all the travel formalities, arrange for the hotel stays and have tie-ups with the Best Hospitals in India for Prostate Cancer Surgery where cancer treatments and surgeries are a specialty. I thought as if God was giving me a signal through my friend and I started researching about it through the internet.

Of various medical tourism companies, my attention was caught by India laparoscopic surgery site-medical service provider. It had a wonderful track record. The doctors on their panel were quite highly qualified and there were several good words are spoken or International patient Review for Radical Prostatectomy by the satisfied patients who got treatment in India well on time. I mustered some courage and called up the medical service providercustomer support number given on their website. What followed was a period of great relief, the least to say.

I was attended by a very friendly lady over the phone. She was very sweet to talk to and was quite sincere in her way of talking about such a dreaded disease like cancer. She, however, never sounded alarmed or worried and calmed me down. She assured me that the disease is fully curable, given the stage it is detected at. So, she advised us to send across the reports for the doctor’s opinion. I wanted to know many things about the service, but could think only of these questions first:

1. How medical service providerhelps the patients coming to India for surgeries?
2. Which doctors are on their panel?
3. Which hospitals are they collaborating with?

She answered each and every question quite patiently. She told us:

1. the medical service provider can assist us in everything pertaining to taking treatment in India. They help in getting assistance related to medical visas, appointments, stay, intracity transfers and etc.
2. They have the Top Robotic Uro Oncologist in India, on their panel, she shared the names and records of the doctors and the hospitals where they are working
3. She also told us that they have a tie-up with the Best Hospitals in India for Prostate Cancer Surgery where all kinds of surgeries are done and the services are the world-class too.

We wanted some affordable solutions for getting the surgery done as the expenses in Florida were beyond our reach. Apart from the expenses, the waiting time also compelled us to look for alternatives in India. India laparoscopic surgery site representative gave me her email ID for sharing the medical reports of my father. She said, “These reports will be sent to various doctors to get their opinion and the treatment applicable.” I asked various other things such as:

1. How much time do they take to revert?
2. Do they provide an upfront quote for the whole package?
3. How much time will the whole process of getting the surgery done take?

She spoke to me at length about all my concerns. She told me that the process of getting the surgery done through medical tourism is as seamless as visiting a doctor in own city. Her medical service providerunderstands the gravity of the disease such as cancer and provides the fastest possible way of getting the surgery done. She requested me to wait for a maximum of three days for revert from the doctors. It was onthe 3rd of July when I sent the reports. On 7th July, the medical service providerrepresentative got back to us. She told us:

1. Doctors had confirmed the need for getting the surgery done as soon as possible.
2. The procedure suggested by Top 10 Urologists in India too was radical prostatectomy.
3. She suggested someone can accompany my father, so I asked her to add me as an attendant for medical visa procedures.
4. She said medical visa and other formalities will be done on priority and that the surgery and recovery will take about a week’s time.
5. She gave us the quotes for the treatment for various hospitals.

Of the hospitals and doctors list given to us, we chose Dr. Mohan Keshavamurthy. His list of qualifications was quite impressive and the number of surgeries done successfully by him added to our confidence. We also saw various videos of seminars where he had spoken about prostate cancer which reflected his knowledge brilliantly. India laparoscopic surgery site-medical service providerrepresentative shared that doctors in India are confirming that surgery and radiation therapy afterward can help in curing the prostate cancer of my father completely, that the chances of a full recovery are quite bright.

All these things boost my confidence. Now, all I had to do was to arrange for my going to India and be with my dad in his battle against cancer. I applied for some loans and even took help from some close friends to fund the treatment. Since I was a successful IT freelancer, taking some off from work was not that big a problem. My father showed exceptional courage all through this time and even asked me to stay positive. He used to say, “I am not going anywhere so soon.” His confidence and positivity instilled a lot of hope in me. I kept in touch with the medical service providerto know about the progress of the documentation procedure and all. I provided her all the documents that she needed for completing travel formalities. She also shared with us the city name, the doctor’s name and hospital and the date of meeting the doctor over an email and also on phone.Way sooner than expected, everything was done and we were ready to fly.

Finally, we landed in India and went to our hotel in a very comfortable car. The medical service provider group had appointed an attendant for us who took care of all our needs pertaining to airport transfers, hotel stay, our meals and appointment with the doctor. On the 13th of August, we met Dr. Mohan Keshavamurthy Top Robotic Urologist in India. He was a very warm person and greeted us with a smile. He had prepared well for our case and asked our father to stay happy and relaxed. He was very confident that he will help my father got rid of the disease completely. He asked us to get the ultrasound and x-ray of the pelvic region done. He explained:

• He needed to ascertain whether the cancer is restricted to prostate gland only
• He also wanted to know the exact location of the cancer-hit tissues.
• He explained that radical prostatectomy involved surgical removal of the prostate gland the tissues surrounding it.
• With the help of radiation therapy and hormone therapy, the possibility of spreading of cancer will be completely eliminated.

We found ourselves quite relieved after meeting the doctor. Though the situation was tense and I was almost in tears, but now I was crying with relief because I knew what the problem is and that my father will live a normal life again. I asked many other questions related to surgery, such as:

1. How much time does surgery require?
2. Is it a safe procedure?
3. Are there any after-effects of surgery?
4. What will be the overall length of stay in the hospital and when will we be able to go back?

Dr. Mohan answered all our questions quite in detail. He explained that:

1. The surgery will require an overall time length of about an hour.
2. He said that minimally invasive procedures like robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy will be performed. It is quite low in risk than the open surgery and helps restore most of the nerves going to the penis. Blood loss is pretty less.
3. The after-effects mostly are erectile dysfunction and incontinence, but with a penile rehabilitation program which is possible to do when back in Florida, these problems can be solved.
4. He shared that the laparoscopic procedure takes only two hours and the hospital stay is just two days. After healing which takes 3-4 days (in my father’s case he said a week since he was diabetic), we were free to go back to our country.
5. This procedure extends the life expectancy by 10 to 15 years. If it is not done, it can crumble the body completely as cancer spreads all over the lower part and further to the whole body causing an untimely death. Surgery restricts the spread as the cancer-hit area is completely removed.

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is a procedure for taking out the prostate gland, he explained. He told us that surrounding tissues and some parts of pelvic lymph nodes are also cut to disable the spreading of cancer. He showed me a video available with him that explained to me the complete procedure. He assured me that there is no risk involved and the laparoscopic way of removing the cancer-struck portion is faster, safer and has smaller healing time. He said that the surgery does come with certain side-effects but all those subside with time and can be managed. These were not going to hamper the normal life of my father, he suggested. He also shared that blood transfusion may be required, which medical service providerrepresentative arranged for us in no time. We were never left alone all this time and got the full support of the medical tourism company people.

All tests and x-rays which were part of the preparation for the procedure were done at the hospital. All of these were performed by knowledgeable doctors and we got the reports well on time. The doctor asked us to come again with reports. He gave the date for the operation which was just one day after. He handled the sugar condition of my father exceptionally well and normalized him completely before starting the operation. At this time, the representative from the medical service providerenquired about our whereabouts and coordinated with the attendant given to us regarding my stay back in the hotel. They got the best food and beverages for me and made me feel very comfortable. Even at the hospital, the lobby arrangements were very good.

Finally, the surgery was over. My father was put under strict observation in the critical care unit. He was under anesthesia and lying still. I was allowed to see my father from a distance. The doctor came to meet me in the evening. He told me that the operation was successful; he showed me the tissues that he took out and sent them for further investigation. He told me in detail about the precautions and probable after-effects of the surgery and gave me a follow-up routine to follow. He asked my father and me to observe these things:

• Any blood in urine after the healing period
• Urinary continence or leakage
• Erectile dysfunction
• Blood clots
• Urinary leaks

He also suggested getting him checked for groin hernia as a part of the follow-up procedure, just to be sure that no other complication arose due to surgery. All this information helped us a lot during the recovery period and we took all the care required. We got the list of all the medicines required and also asked for substitutes in case they were not available in Florida or sold by different names. Dr Mohan was fully aware of the situation and gave all medicine names, test names etc. as were used in our country.

My father is now 70. He is hale and hearty. He did experience continence for about half a year after surgery, but with a penile rehabilitation program, all these issues subsided. My father is on her girlfriend number 4 and is enjoying life just like any other healthy person. It is all due to the medical tourism company’s support and the brilliance of Dr. Mohan Keshavamurthy Top Robotic Urologist in India and his team that my father is living a cancer-free life.

When my father came into senses, the doctor was there to check him up. He was always present whenever the bandage was to be changed. He assured us that since my father was just in his fifties, his chances of recovering completely were quite high. He suggested that when we go for a follow-up in our country, we can make him talk to our doctor. He gave his personal number to offer any assistance if required after the Successful Prostate cancer surgery in India.All these gestures really overwhelmed us and we thanked him for all that he is done for us. The doctor was very cheerful and hoped the best for us.

My father stayed in Fortis Hospital for about a week. He felt much better. The doctor also checked various parameters like urine output, water intake, etc. He asked my father to walk for a few steps. He did not report any discomfort while doing so.