4 WEEKS AND COUNTING

[rglassva]

I promise I won't post every day or week with updates on the countdown - who needs that, right? I'll be traveling to Norfolk on 8/19 for the second attempt at getting implanted - see my old posts for the whole story. Anyway, less than 2 weeks away from my pre-op appointment with Dr. McCammon (8/2) in Virginia Beach where he'll go over all the specifics about what he plans to do. Among other things, I plan to ask how many cases he's had like mine and how many of them were successful. My questions for you guys - anyone out there need "grafting" in order to get it done? Anyone get implanted where they had to really "open you up" and carve out fibrotic/scar tissue? Any specific questions you think I should ask - other than "realistically, what are the chances of you (doc) being able to gitterdone?" I know there are lots of unknowns until he gets in there but if he says 50/50 - ugh. . . what's a guy to do?
Thanks as always for the encouragement, support, and cyber love!
Rick

[ableman28]

I had a one inch band of fibrotic tissue running diagonal across my penis from an accident then compounded by years of ICP. It was hard as belt leather. My physician (Eid) was able to get through that and implant a Coloplast Titan. They require the largest dilation of the corpus of any implant. So I think, at least for a higher volume surgeon, its quite doable.

Look at my other post, Day 3, and you can see the steps I took prior to surgery to make the corpus tissue as malleable as possible.

[conway_96]

Good luck Rick!

Your positive attitude is quite remarkable. I share the same concerns about scar tissue and will be following your progress.

Looking forward to your updates.

Conway

[woodturner]

I almost used Dr. McCammon for my implant. His office is literally a 5 minute walk from where I work. I chose not to use him for the following reasons.
* I did not get the impression that Urology of Virginia (name of the practice) does that many implants on an annual basis. (this is based upon a comment I heard one of their doctors make)
* It took me 3 months to get my initial appointment with him and that is too long in my opinion
* Because of my perception that the practice did not do that many implants, I felt like hospital care would be better where they are used to dealing with a large number of implants.

I am not saying he is not a good doctor. I am saying that I could not get enough information that made me feel comfortable. I wanted a high volume doctor.

As a result I narrowed it down to a Dr. Aaron Lentz at Duke Raleigh (about 125 implants per year) and Dr. Andrew Kramer in Baltimore (everybody knows who he is).
I chose Lentz because Raleigh is a much easier trip to make than Baltimore.

A surgeon at Urology of Virginia did my prostatectomy and as far as I am concerned I couldn't have done any better had I gone elsewhere. I also received penile rehab treatment from a Dr. Gerald Jordan. It is because of Dr. Jordan's treatment that I did not loose any length when I got my implant.

[David_R]

It is because of Dr. Jordan's treatment that I did not loose any length when I got my implant.

A well-done implant does not cause a man to lose length. Atrophy and losing length occurs after a prostatectomy when penile rehab isn't done (which was my case when I had my prostatectomy done in 2000, before penile rehab had been introduced). I've been in several prostate cancer support groups, and I have always found that those of us who had a prostatectomy before penile rehab had been introduced all lost an inch -- and I've been the only implanted guy in those groups.

[ValPinto]

Fair enough between Lentz and Kramer, though I would have to say you've got a very good (by all accounts) surgeon and probably the best in the US or world in Kramer. maybe worth a trip, logistics seem mild in the spectrum of importance vs surgeon skill. But you're in good hands either way

[rglassva]

ValPinto - I went to Kramer last summer for the same reasons you mention - and I'm still convinced he's great at what he does - unfortunately I think he underestimated the issues related to my unusual case and ended up aborting the surgery half way through. Luckily he recommended Dr. McCammon - a urologic reconstructive surgeon who is gonna go back in and try again - scheduling a 4-hour surgery instead of Kramer's 1-hour assembly line version. As my local uro told me. . . he may not do as many implants per year but he's good at doing the tough ones.

Rick

[Boulder]

ValPinto,

Best in the world? I've experienced the suposidly "Best in the World" And it depends on what you think they're the best at? Best salesmen? Best dressed? Best at Getting the assembly line moving and making money? There are a number of guys on FT that have had bad/horrific experiences with both Kramer and Eid.

Perhaps in a perfect world with the perfect anatomy, Kramer may get the job done. Watch out though if there's a problem! Same goes for Eid. Don't make them out to be gods, after all they are only human.

Dr. Rafael Carrion, Low key and under the radar and the most skilled and professional among them all! My biggest mistake was not using him the first time. The son of God...lol

Look up my previous posts and READ them this time.

Be well!

[rglassva]

Wow! Got a call from Dr. McCammon's office today - they had a surgery cancellation for next week! I have travel plans for about a week after that so figured I'd better decline the offer. RATS! So 8/18 it stands - still not nervous really - unless nervous excitement counts. Will head to see him next week for pre-op stuff and to ask my final questions.. . . tick tock. . .

[woodturner]

One thing I didn't mention about Dr. Lentz, a lot of the procedures he does is repairing what other doctors did.