Texas SOT

PSA Test Tesults

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Texas

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • rotor

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 1, 2015
    4,239
    96
    Texas
    Many doctors have a relationship with facilities that do surgeries of various types. Surgery centers have lasers and robots, etc. Some are just referral relationships, but many are partnership interests. And yes, I do know it for a fact. So maybe not all, perhaps "most" would have been a better word choice.

    I think your doc is an exception.
    Medicare only pays for approved procedures in a surgicenter when the patient is discharged in less than 24 hours, so I doubt that a procedure mostly done on medicare patients would be covered as I believe 24 hour maximum is unlikely for a robotic prostatectomy. So a robot use is unlikely even if the doctor was a partner in the surgicenter. Now if it was a private hospital owned by the docs that is different but unlikely because the cost for the equipment to do a case is likely more than the reimbursement from Medicare. You do not make up a loss per case by doing more volume. As I understand it, Medicare considers a prostatectomy to be a prostatectomy whether it is done open or with a robot. Open is much cheaper for the facility.
    Can you verify most? You claim that most facilities that have a robot the docs are partial owners or get a kickback. Do you want to call Medicare and report this fraud? They give a finders fee.
     

    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Feb 1, 2010
    15,590
    96
    DFW
    Medicare is not the only payor for those services. I never said kickback. You said that.
     

    rotor

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 1, 2015
    4,239
    96
    Texas
    Medicare is not the only payor for those services. I never said kickback. You said that.
    Most prostatectomies I would bet are on Medicare. What you implied would seem to be insurance fraud but I am not a lawyer.
    Topic drift though.
     

    SA_Steve

    Well-Known
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Oct 1, 2014
    1,544
    96
    San Antonio, Texas USA
    Friend of mine is a rep for a company that makes the radioactive prostate implant pills. Some doctors use 4 times the recommended dose. I don't know if that is good or bad. But different.
     

    Haystack

    Active Member
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 2, 2021
    417
    76
    Edom, TX
    Friend of mine is a rep for a company that makes the radioactive prostate implant pills. Some doctors use 4 times the recommended dose. I don't know if that is good or bad. But different.

    I have a friend that had the radioactive implants. They put little tattoos on him where they were implanted. He had that over 10 years ago. He is over 80 now and doing fine. My memory is not precise, but they may have put in four.
     

    SA_Steve

    Well-Known
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Oct 1, 2014
    1,544
    96
    San Antonio, Texas USA
    Multiples are generally required even by conservative doctors. They are tiny. Most are removed after a while.
    Sounds like a preferable treatment if it works without hurting something else.
     

    mongoose

    Well-Known
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 10, 2012
    1,289
    96
    nm
    I have a friend that had the radioactive implants. They put little tattoos on him where they were implanted. He had that over 10 years ago. He is over 80 now and doing fine. My memory is not precise, but they may have put in four.

    My FIL had the implants when he was 60 and they were just in the experimental phase. He was good for about 20 years and his PSA spiked. He went with the hormone treatment......pure hell. He died ,but not of Prostate Cancer. My Doctor ( (an oncologist) told me the PSA test is worthless and advised against it.
     

    deemus

    my mama says I'm special
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Feb 1, 2010
    15,590
    96
    DFW
    Most prostatectomies I would bet are on Medicare. What you implied would seem to be insurance fraud but I am not a lawyer.
    Topic drift though.

    I know three guys who had prostate cancer. Two were in their 50's, one in his 80s.
     

    TX OMFS

    TGT Addict
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 3, 2014
    4,756
    96
    San Antonio
    This may be too personal, if so ignore it. My 9 year younger brother went through the 40 radiation treetments upon being diagnosed positive. He was told that if they removed the prostate he would loose bladder control, so he chose radiation. Is what he was told true?
    Yes, it's true. Radiation has plenty of side effects, too.

    I generally recommend surgery over primary radiation for most solid tumors.
     

    TX OMFS

    TGT Addict
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 3, 2014
    4,756
    96
    San Antonio
    Prostate cancer before the age of 60 is very bad.

    Prostate cancer after age 80 isn't a big deal.

    The choice of surgery, internal radiation (the little implanted radioactive balls), and external beam radiation is not equal. They don't have equal success. And, their success depends on the specifics of the case.
     

    TX OMFS

    TGT Addict
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 3, 2014
    4,756
    96
    San Antonio
    Went to the doc two days ago and my blood test came back with a PSA (prostate) spike from the 6/7 it has been for years to 16. Following up with urologist but wanted to ask if anyone in their 70’s has had similar test results and what it turned out to be
    Most likely you have prostatitis, most commonly caused by infection, or prostate cancer.

    You need a DRE (digital rectal exam) but even with a normal DRE a prostate biopsy is probably in the cards for you.
     

    rotor

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 1, 2015
    4,239
    96
    Texas
    I know three guys who had prostate cancer. Two were in their 50's, one in his 80s.
    Not an expert but according to Dr Google the most common age for prostate cancer is 65-69. I still think that most prostate cancer treatment is in the medicare age group. I could be wrong though.
     

    BRD@66

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 23, 2014
    10,773
    96
    Liberty Hill
    ...
    As you may have guessed, yep, facing prostate cancer myself.
    See if you can find a chapter of "Us Too" It's a (well, it was when I needed it in 1997) support group of & for prostate cancer survivors. I almost don't recommend them 'cause they like to tell horror stories & happy survivors are less likely to attend meetings than those for whom the disease returned after treatment - but you just take that with a grain of salt. Talk to a surgeon AND a glow-in-the-dark doctor. Remember, one wants to cut you, the other wants to burn you & each thinks his way is the best but you just take that with a grain of salt & make the decision that's best for you. The only upside for me was that I had a 25 year old cutie (female) looking up my gown once a week for awhile.
     
    Last edited:
    Top Bottom