Travel or stay local

[Drs150]

I am having a hard time finding someone I trust to do an implant local to me.
I have scheduled an appointment with Levine in Chicago which is 4.5 hours away.
For those who have traveled to a more well known and high volume doc, was it worth it?
How did you handle follow ups?
Thanks

[RayChez]

The first implant I traveled about 120 miles where I thought they were more experienced, but on my revision fifteen years later I decided that implants had become pretty common here in the states with most urologists. So I called a urologists center 30 miles away and he was fantastic doing my revision and installing the LGX cylinders with MS pump and a bigger reservoir. So if I was you I would check with somebody that is closer and ask questions to the urologists if he has done that type of surgery. Going long distances is hard or was for me anyways.
Good luck!

[newbie443]

Follow up care is really difficult if you travel. Unless you have someone local that will agree to do it. But you need a good doctor you trust for this. I believe that you should search local first and if you don't find one then expand your search. Hopefully you will find a really good doctor close enough for follow up care. If not then you can consider travel. Take care and best of luck with this.

[proctor]

I travelled 5000 miles to Turkey to get implanted by Dr Kramer. It cost me a fortune, as I stayed in a 4 star hotel, travelled business class in both ways. But after three months, I consider it to be my best investment. If you are otherwise healthy and dont have any complications like diabetes or anything that you can think of, may be you don't need to stay longer in the hotel (I stayed three nights post surgery, as I had to endure a 9 hour flight back home).

But of course, if you are confident that your local option is good (high volume, well reputed, cheap/free ....) may be you don't need to travel. Once I returned home, I had my usual second thoughts and worries, and felt that I should have stayed a few more days. On hindsight, I understand, why the medical team didnt recommend me staying longer, because its just unnecessary and you can recuperate faster if you are at home. Best of luck!!

[Skier123]

Drs150,

So here is my point of view:

Your choice of surgeon is one of the most important, if not the most important, decision you will make in this process. In my opinion, traveling less that half a day to get to a known, established implant surgeon is time well spent. Although there are some very good local urologists out there, they need to do enough implants in order to have it down. Local, low volume surgeons are known for "shorting" you, due to lack of experience determining the proper cylinder sizing.

So f you can find a good local surgeon with enough experience closer to you than Dr. Levine - that could be a good choice. However, if you are unsure about your local urologist's skill or experience, then a few hours riding in the car to get to a higher volume experienced implant surgeon like Dr. Levine would be time well spent in reducing your risks with this procedure.

FWIW

[MK1965]

I personally prefer to stay local.
My first implant was done on 9/5/18 in Houston.
Upcoming revision scheduled for December 2 and also here in Houston but just by different urologist.
MK

[Lost Sheep]

I am having a hard time finding someone I trust to do an implant local to me.
I have scheduled an appointment with Levine in Chicago which is 4.5 hours away.
For those who have traveled to a more well known and high volume doc, was it worth it?
How did you handle follow ups?
Thanks

I had the same question and there are several threads on the subject. Just a few of the factors to consider are, continuity of care, convenience of followup visits with the surgeon who actually did your surgery, how convenient it is to travel (especially going home after surgery), getting a helper to care for you during your convalescence/recovery (some men have an easier recovery than others, but even if yours is easy, it sure is nice to be pampered any time, isn't it?)

The search function is your friend. Here are a few threads. You can find others, I think.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7303&p=50261

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7340&p=50716

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7890&p=56968

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8103&p=58275

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8236&p=60200

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8280&p=60806