Second opinions for prostate cancer
Our approach is firmly based on providing the patient and his family with the time, care and attention required for fully informed, shared decision making to achieve the best possible results.
We pay particular attention to obtaining, and providing, the patient with all the decision making tools necessary to safely choose the best form of treatment, dependant on each individuals type, and stage, of cancer.
Dr Cozzi and his team aim to provide individualised, personalised and comprehensive care, tailored to the patient’s needs, preferences, and the nature of the cancer.
Our multidisciplinary team offers comprehensive cancer care with state of the art prostate cancer treatments. We are the only true multidisciplinary centre in New South Wales, offering patients a comprehensive assessment, with the full range of treatment options available.
Many studies have shown that the optimal outcome is achieved in experienced units, and we are pleased to be able to offer investigations and treatments at several centres of excellence.
Dr Cozzi can treat patients at Hurstville Private Hospital, St George Private Hospital, Kareena Private Hospital and Ramsay Surgical Centre Miranda.
Our patients are always satisfied with the level of care provided, and with the advance technology including the DaVinci Xi robotic platform. Patients may elect to proceed to biopsy at a facility close to home, for their convenience, and then travel to a larger facility for surgery, should it be deemed necessary.
Robotic Surgery
Dr Cozzi regularly performs robotic surgery utilising state of the art DaVinci Robotic platforms in dedicated and purpose built robotic operating theatres at Hurstville Private Hospital and St George Private Hospital, located in Sydneys’ South
Regardless of the choice of facility, patients’ can be re-assured our team have chosen the best inpatient and outpatient settings, where our experienced teams will achieve the best possible outcomes.
Dr Cozzi has pioneered the latest techniques for preservation of potency, including nerve sparing surgery both via open and robotic approaches. Dr Paul Cozzi completed extensive training in a Fellowship position in urologic oncology in the USA at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.
Dr Cozzi was fortunate to spend more than 2 years (1998-2000) working with Dr Peter Scardino in New York to learn about the subtleties and complexities of prostate cancer diagnosis and management. Dr Scardino is recognised as a leader in prostate cancer with particular interests in optimising surgical outcomes and the use of active surveillance.
Accordingly ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE forms a large part of Dr Cozzi’s practice and a third of his patients have been safely managed with this approach, thereby avoiding the side effects of surgery and radiation therapy.
Dr Cozzi’s patients are managed with this approach with very careful and diligent follow up including molecular marker studies, genomics and MRI to ensure serious cancers are not missed.
Many patients choose to have surgery via OPEN or ROBOTIC ASSISTED approaches and Dr Cozzi is one of the most experienced surgeons in Sydney when it comes to these options. Dr Cozzi continues to maintain his skills for open & robotic assisted surgery to optimise outcomes, as patients can sometimes be unsuitable for one approach or the other.
In contrast to recently graduated surgeons (many of whom can only perform robotic surgery), Dr Cozzi can safely and competently complete the surgery via an open approach should the robot approach fail or be abandoned.
To date, in more than 520 cases, Dr Cozzi has fortunately not had to convert any robotic cases to open.
Pre & Post Surgery
We have an excellent team of nursing staff at St George Private Hospital and Hurstville Private as well as nursing staff within the practice, who assist in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative care of patients undergoing surgery.
Dr Cozzi feels very strongly about involving allied health professionals and refers all patients for pre-op pelvic floor physiotherapy to carefully selected physiotherapists either in Wollongong (www.illawarra-physiotherapy.com.au), Sans Souci in Southern Sydney (www.sanssouciphysiotherapycentre.com.au) or Neutral Bay (www.neutralbayphysio.com.au ). Sexual function rehabilitation is assisted at these locations also.
Equally, should you choose to continue to be cared for by our team, we will ensure careful and timely follow up with a strict protocol for follow up which Dr Cozzi insists on.
Office visits following surgery are generally scheduled at 6 weeks, 3 months, every 6 months for the next 2 years and annually until 5 years post surgery. Some patients may require more or less frequent follow depending on progress.
Our protocol for assessment includes a second opinion from an expert prostate cancer pathologist and therefore it is imperative that we receive a copy of the pathology from your prostate biopsy. If you could please fax a copy of the pathology report to 02 9570 5578, our staff will organise for the pathology to be reviewed by Dr Warwick Delprado from Douglas Hanly Moir who has an international reputation as a prostate cancer pathologist.
There is a small fee for this service from the pathologist however many studies have shown the importance of an experienced pathologist reviewing the biopsy specimen and it is best if this can be achieved prior to your visit.
We are very proud of our team results and in particular, we have some of the largest experience in Australia in nerve sparing surgery with excellent results in terms of preservation of potency whilst maintaining the best chance of cure of the cancer.
You will also be given questionnaires to complete, and it is important that these are completed and returned to us so that we can constantly measure outcomes and to maintain a high standard of care.
Please be sure to bring any scans you may have including MRI, CT and Bone Scans, lists of your medications and any correspondence relating to your condition or general health, to the appointment.
Be reassured that we have an internationally trained team of experts to help you and your family through the decision making process, and to choose the most appropriate treatment for you, in your own individual circumstances.
If there are any further questions prior to your appointment, please do not hesitate to contact us on (02) 9570 5510