I cannot recommend Dr Charles Chabert and his team highly enough! His key hole surgical methods, in particular his Prostate surgery methods, are cutting edge and are enabling men to achieve a much greater quality of post surgery life with minimal surgical invasion.

I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in early 2008 at the age of 46. I was first alerted to the possibility of Prostate Cancer after a routine health check and blood test (in which, a PSA test was thrown in as an afterthought) returned a slightly elevated PSA level (3.6). Diagnosis was confirmed following a second PSA reading (4) and a biopsy (not much fun!!!) and I was fortuitously referred to Dr Chabert to discuss my treatment options. I had a Radical Prostatectomy in August 2008. Mercifully, the pathology on the removed Prostate indicated that the cancer was completely contained within the shell of the Prostate and it was very unlikely that it had spread any further. To date, subsequent follow up PSA tests indicate that I am now cancer free.

Funnily enough, despite the fact that this was the desired end result, it was not my primary concern in the early days following my diagnosis. It is probably an interesting insight into the male (or maybe my) psyche to reveal that, despite the fact that I had a cancer growing in me that, if left untreated, would eventually kill me, my primary concern was the effect any treatment would have on my sexual function and whether I would be continually wetting myself following treatment. Everything I had read mentioned permanent and irreversible impotence and incontinence. In the early days this worried me more than the cancer did and it was here that Dr Chabert came into his own.

Dr Chabert was able to greatly ease my mind regarding these concerns at the initial consultation. He arranged for me to see a physiotherapist who gave me a series of pelvic floor exercises. He assured me that if I did these exercises as directed that I would have a good result with regards to incontinence. True to his word, within a couple of months of having the surgery I was completely dry and now, some 2 and a bit years on, it’s as if nothing had happened.

He was also very encouraging about the possibility of being able to function sexually following surgery. He explained that, whilst surgery used to be the final curtain as far as sexual function was concerned, it was no longer the case now. He said that new nerve sparing surgical procedures along with improved pharmaceutical products (Viagra style drugs and Caverject injections) now make it possible for men to continue to enjoy an active and satisfying sex life following Prostate surgery. Sure, it will never be the same again (no mess and no wet spot, to mention some of the more positive differences) but it can still be good. Again, true to his word, this has proved to be the case in my situation. My sexual function is ok without the drugs and considerably better with them. Both my wife and I are extremely grateful for this! I am also told (though I have never had to find out – can’t quite bring myself to stick a needle in it yet!) that it would be like it was before the surgery with the injection.

In a nutshell, not only did Dr Chabert save my life, he also enabled me to continue to enjoy it, and for that, my wife and I cannot thank him enough!

Mark
Age 49