We look for a partner in a physician. In an era of robotic surgery options, then need for patients to become an expert in a short time, and the security and knowledge we gain from second opinions, a close partnership becomes critical for optimal care.

Mark:



I was aware of at least a couple of the different approaches to the surgery. I knew people who had had the open procedures. The abdominal approach is the one that is probably the more traditional one right now. You can get fascinated with the robotics, and I am. I think the technology is great but the robot's not doing the surgery. The surgeon is doing the surgery. It's only going to be as good as the surgeon.



Julie:



What was really difficult about the robotic surgery was that it was so new that finding people who had experienced the robotic surgery was very difficult.



Mark:



A friend of Julie's heard someone talking about his experience with prostate cancer and having surgery done robotically. I called him a couple days later and that's how I found out some insights on not only his experience but also Dr. Tewari, who had done his surgery. And he said, "Before you do anything else, you must talk to him."



Text:



Dr. Ash Tewari is Director, Robotic Prostatectomy at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center.



Mark:



Dr. Tewari was very busy, and it was going to be some time before I could get in. So I started seeing other people that I had on the list.



Dr. Tewari:



I think second opinions are a good tool for patients who are supposed to become an expert in a short span of one or two weeks. And a second opinion can give him some very different views about the same problem. None of them right or wrong, it't just that medicine is less of a science and more of an art, so they get different perspectives.



Text:



A recent study finds that 30,000 cancer patients are misdiagnosed annually.



Mark:



We had a very informative, very positive interaction with Dr. Tewari.



Julie:



At the end he turned to me and he said, "Tell me what is in your mind." And I was very impressed with that--that he would turn to me in addition to asking my husband that question.



Mark:



I look for someone to be a partner with me in my health. I'm not looking for someone to dictate to me. There are things I don't know, there are things I do know, but I'm looking for a partner in this.



Dr. Tewari:



And patients kind of relate, they look into my eyes and I look into their eyes, and sometimes we shake hands and one squeeze tells it all. So we come onto the same pages and we extend our emotions to each other and we go through this journey together.