"Being a physician in my 50s, it was not a question of what I would do. I wanted to get the cancer out if possible. I feel that Dr. Patel is the person that everyone should really meet if surgical options are the way to go. I think he is the first person."
The night I found out that I had prostate cancer (actually, when I got the biopsy results), I emailed Dr. Patel. Obviously I had some angst about the whole thing -- even though I am a physician, the idea that you have prostate cancer or cancer of any type was a bit intimidating. So I emailed him once or twice about various issues, and I think the thing that was most incredible even when I had talked to him a year and a half or two years before, was that I already knew that clearly he had become a superstar in his field, but he was very accessible and very lovable kind of guy. As a physician I am similar in the sense that I really fall in love with people. I think that is very important that patients feel that their doctor cares.
When I got a little concerned, one of the emails he sent back was really remarkable. "You will be fine," he wrote. And that really helped a great deal. When I came over and met him, it was an equally good experience.
Being a physician in my 50s, it was not a question what I would do. I wanted to get the cancer out if possible. We booked surgery and fortunately got it done pretty expeditiously. So I feel like I had an incredible surgeon, and I was fortunate that my pathology results came out very favorable. He is a great human being, and I feel like I found a friend as well. I hope that we continue the relationship over the years. I have done my best to let people know that. I let patients make choices, but I think that once they met him there would not be much choice.
In fact I feel that he is the person that everyone should really meet if surgical options are the way to go. I think he is the first person. So without reservation this is the number-one place I recommend. In fact, I now say don't travel to New York or to Philadelphia or to Baltimore to John Hopkins – go to the Global Robotics Institute.