The diagnosis was like a sentence. Tomasz acted as if his life was over

«My husband is reluctant to share with himself what we went through when he developed prostate cancer. When he talked to his urologist Dr. Paweł Wisz after the surgery, I had to add some important details. For example, a few days after the operation, his erection returned »- says Joanna. The woman accompanied her husband throughout the treatment process.

1. Prostate cancer was diagnosed in Tomasz. He and his wife Joanna went from doctor to doctor to choose the best treatment option
2. The determined wife fought for Tomasz to have the best chance of health and full recovery
3. – Our sex life is perfect – Joanna laughs today. Their story ends well
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Tomasz has cancer. “He’s only 52 years old”

Joanna and Tomasz are a wonderful marriage, they have lived together for 29 years. They have grown up children, a house, a good job, and many friends. Suddenly, in January, this calmness was disturbed by an unexpected diagnosis: Tomasz has cancer.

– It didn’t get to me. After all, he is only 52 years old, his life is ahead, and I want to share it with him for the next 30 years – Joanna recalls.

Tomasz’s results broke down completely. He lost hope, acted as if his life were over for him. “It was very nervous and hard,” says Joanna.

– We could not understand why this disease came from, why Tomasz, after all, he was checked regularly every six months, he took care of himself. He had no complaints. Never and nothing. Suddenly, in December last year, PSA was very high, followed by an MRI scan. And the result – prostate cancer.

– I did not hesitate, I knew that I cannot give up, that I have to act. We started looking for help. One oncologist, the other. We were referred for a fusion biopsy. The diagnosis was confirmed – says Joanna. – Then I put the initiative.

The woman began to strive to ensure that her beloved husband received the best possible help.

– The oncologist told us what therapeutic options we have: surgery, brachytherapy … And I kept asking: what about the da Vinci robot? This doctor from Bydgoszcz said little about it. We were looking for information on our own. We have read all the materials available on the internet about prostate cancer treatment with the da Vinci robot. Joanna says. I made a decision: we’re going to Krakow!

And so the couple showed up at the Hospital in Klinach in Kraków.

– Tomasz was resigned, he didn’t even want to go. And I supported him, encouraged him to act. I talked to my friends, each of us supported him, did his own interview about where and with whom it was worth having surgery. The decision began to mature: once again, it was only Dr. Paweł Wisz from Szpital na Klinach – says Joanna.

The family called a hospital in Krakow. There is a surgery date – March 15th. The treatment is performed. In mid-April, actually a week before Christmas, the result came. It is already known that everything worked out, Tomasz is healthy. Cancer is gone.

After the operation, there is relief: nothing hurts, it holds urine. But Tomasz was troubled by the question of whether cancer and surgery had taken his manhood away. «He had to check it» jokes Joanna.

– But when doctor Wisz called to ask if everything was okay, my husband talked about everything, not about the erection. So I was telling him to add to the global robotic operations stats and that’s our achievement. And he is silent, so finally I said that all functions are back, that our sex life is perfect – he laughs.

As Joanna says, in all the misfortune of finding her husband’s prostate cancer, there was one hope.

– For us it was Dr. Paweł Wisz. I would do everything so that only Tomasz could continue to live, he would be happy again. And in this sense, we are lucky that we were able to sit down with this doctor and talk to him in such a way that he poured into our hearts hope that everything would still be fine. He will be my idol for the rest of my life, such a diligent doctor, with such an international career and experience – emphasizes Joanna. We are impressed by the level of care and the entire staff of Szpital na Klinach.

Treatment of prostate cancer. What do you need to know? Dr. Paweł Wisz explains

Currently, we can choose from three methods of surgical treatment of prostate cancer: the oldest – open, laparoscopic and the most advanced, i.e. using the da Vinci robot. Regardless of the method chosen, surgery to remove the prostate is an oncological procedure and requires great precision. Precision is needed to increase the patient’s chances of retaining functions such as urinary incontinence or erection, but above all, to thoroughly dissect the prostate itself to remove the neoplasm. These tasks are difficult, because the space in which we operate is very small, especially in the case of the last stage of the procedure, i.e. cutting off the prostate from the urethra, which is only 10 mm in diameter.

The da Vinci robot is a tool that supports the surgeon, it is like an extension of his hands, but with greater possibilities, because the range of movement of the tools is as much as 560 degrees. We also have excellent visualization of the operating field, in 3x magnification and in 2018D full HD quality. Operations performed with this method give excellent results. At the Hospital in Klinach in Krakow, I use the method called “Collar”, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed by the results of scientific research published in 8,9. It minimizes the risk of leaving cancer cells postoperatively, the so-called positive margins. And in the case of cancer limited only to the prostate, i.e. the less advanced one, there were zero cases with a positive margin around the prostate apex, and in the control group, i.e. in the case of using a different technique, it was XNUMX%. cases with a positive margin. This is a significant difference.

Also in locally advanced neoplasm, in the case of tumor infiltration of the seminal vesicles, our subsequent studies confirmed better results of the operation using the da Vinci robot, because thanks to this technique we can extend the scope of the operation to remove the prostate, seminal vesicles and Denonvilliers’ fascia. This part of the procedure is technically very difficult to perform due to the fact that the fascia adheres to the rectum. Treatments of this class are performed only in centers with appropriate experience. There are only a few of them in Europe.

We published the conclusions of the study in August 2020 in the prestigious journal “European Urology”. Postoperative results were subjected to statistical examination, and the conclusions confirmed the advantage of this operating method over others. In the group of 80 patients, only 11 required further treatment – radiotherapy and / or hormone therapy, in most cases, thanks to the precision of robotic surgery, we removed all the neoplastic cells, which means we achieved the state of oncological purity.

Operations performed with the use of a robot are better, safer for the patient, but we must remember that it is not a robot that operates. The robot is only a tool. As with any surgical procedure, one of the most important factors influencing not only the time of the procedure itself, but also its effectiveness, is the experience of the person who performs it. In the case of robotic surgery, the doctor’s experience in working with the device in question is especially important. It is also important to train your doctor properly. I have already performed about 1000 such procedures and today I am responsible for training programs and educating medical staff in the field of robotic surgery in Europe.

Communication in the patient-doctor relationship is one of the most important elements when making a choice regarding a therapeutic option. Sometimes the attending physician changes due to the loss of the patient’s trust or insufficient information. A patient who comes to a specialist with a diagnosis of prostate cancer primarily expects a substantive explanation of what is happening, what can be done, but also support in this situation. As a consequence, it is the patient who decides on the choice of treatment method, and the doctor is the person who should present to him all possible treatment options and discuss them in case of any questions. Treatment of prostate cancer is often not only a decision in itself, but also a number of questions about sexuality and life after surgery. This is a difficult time for men. That is why it is so important for the doctor to explain the consequences of surgical treatment of the prostate and to talk about the emotional aspects of the disease. It often happens that it is partners and wives who look for tips on how to support a man in this difficult moment.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of men regarding the possibility of contracting prostate cancer, and thus greater vigilance, control and systematic preventive examinations. The partners, who often give the first impulse to visit the office, also play a significant role in cultivating this “preventive vigilance”. It is worth remembering that prophylaxis is key in the early diagnosis of cancer, and thus gives a chance to use less invasive methods of treatment and, as a result, to completely cure the cancer. The more so as prostate cancer is a very specific and insidious neoplasm that can develop asymptomatically for many years.

It is worth remembering about prostate control – it requires regular «checkup»! From the age of 40, men with a family history of prostate cancer should undergo basic preventive examinations and enter regular visits to the urologist in their calendar. In men without genetic burden, a “urological check-up” is recommended after the age of 45.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to the diet. Do you have to stick to it 100% to stay healthy and feel good? Do you really have to start every day with breakfast? What is it like with sipping meals and eating fruit? Listen: