Dr. Waguespack was a varsity football letterman at Texas A&M University studying biomedical science when his family suffered a double blow. His grandfather and father were both diagnosed with prostate cancer. “Back in those days PSA testing had just become mainstream,” he remembers. Home for the summer, he cared for his dad after his open radical prostatectomy. Seeing the way his father’s cancer was managed put Dr. Waguespack on the path to becoming a urologist and prostate cancer surgeon.
Although he has seen remarkable outcomes for men whose cancer is detected early, his grandfather and dad are never far from his mind. “My grandfather ultimately died of the disease, while my dad was cured by surgery. In my own family, I have seen the worst- and best-case scenarios for outcomes after diagnosis,” he says.
This very personal perspective shapes every conversation Dr. Waguespack has with the men who come to see him. “For many, this is the first time they’ve had a significant health issue. Suddenly, they have this cancer diagnosis and are faced with going through all this treatment. I think about that every time I’m about to meet a patient for the first time. When they know I understand the process they’re going through—the fears they have about surgery, biopsies, having a catheter—it helps develop a level of trust.”
That trust is enhanced by Dr. Waguespack’s deep expertise in robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy using the da Vinci® Surgical System—as well as a variety of minimally invasive procedures to treat kidney and bladder cancer, kidney stones, and benign prostate enlargement (BPH). Still, that doesn’t mean he recommends surgery for everyone. As a founder of Urology Partners, Dr. Waguespack is committed to making sure men understand and explore all of their treatment options. “I think our patients respect that and realize we have their best interests at heart.”
After graduating summa cum laude from Texas A&M University in 1995, Dr. Waguespack earned his medical degree at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, and completed his internship and residency at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. When he’s not caring for patients, he enjoys hunting, snow skiing, scuba diving, golf, cooking and traveling. He resides in Irving with his wife and two children.
