Urologists are constantly scheduling patients for surgical procedures. As part of the informed consent process, it is necessary to discuss the details of the procedure, the rationale behind it, the risks and benefits of the procedure, and the alternatives, along with the expected convalescence and surgical outcomes. When discussing surgical outcomes, urologists are very familiar with reporting their results as assessed by validated questionnaires such as the International Index of Erectile Function,¹ Sexual Health Inventory for Men,² AUA Symptom Index,³ etc. However, these questionnaires are not very useful when discussing surgical outcomes directly with patients. In my own practice as a busy penile implant surgeon, I was well-equipped to discuss surgical details. However, I found that there were many questions that I could not definitively answer, such as:

1. How much pain will I have postoperatively?
2. Will a partner be aware that I have an implant?
3. Will this implant affect penile sensation in any way?
4. Will I be able to play sports, ride a bike, etc, after an implant?
5. Will an implant enhance my sexual confidence?
6. Will the implant change the appearance of my genitalia?
7. Can I speak with someone who has already received an implant?

To fill this knowledge gap, I started using “patient advisors” (Advisors) for routine surgical procedures (eg, inflatable penile implant, vasectomy, prostate laser treatment). These Advisors were patients who had fully recovered from their procedure, and were willing to discuss their pre- and postoperative experiences with other patients. Initially I maintained a list of Advisors, and gave their phone numbers to prospective patients. These patients were very happy to be able to talk to someone who had already “been there, done that.” The patient advisor program was so well received that I encouraged the Advisors to speak at my public health seminars and videotaped some of them for my urological practice website. It became clear to me that the Advisors could convey a wealth of information that a surgeon was unaware of, since most surgeons have not undergone the procedures that they perform. Consequently, I constructed a free website that would allow patients worldwide who had undergone virtually any surgical procedure (urological or nonurological) to permanently post their unvarnished, unedited surgical experiences, along with any relevant photos. This information is available to anyone, anywhere via the website: patient-advisors.com.

Patients who have recovered from a procedure are able to post their experiences, so that other patients can read and benefit from that information. Patients disclaim any privacy rights to information that they disclose, can be anonymous if they wish, and are able to message each other if they so desire. Patients who are considering an elective surgical procedure are now able to read the experiences posted by many other patients who have recovered from that procedure. Patients are also allowed to post information that they might not be comfortable disclosing to their surgeon (eg, postoperative side effects that their surgeon failed to mention). Surgeons can certainly benefit by reviewing the candid information written by postoperative patients.

In 2022, the AUA recognized the importance of this type of information via its AUA Patient Perspectives Program. The stated goals of this program are to “bring patient voices into the fold,” to allow “patients living with urological conditions to share their own treatment journey,” and to give patients the opportunity “to present their story…at the world’s largest medical meeting in urology.” The patient-advisors.com website is sparsely populated at this point. However, if urologists and other surgeons encourage their postoperative patients to record their experiences on patient-advisors.com, they can create permanent records available worldwide in virtually all languages. This information can help improve the informed consent process for surgical patients, and will help them become better informed about any upcoming surgical procedures.