THE PROCEDURE FOR GETTING A DIAGNOSTIC LAP DONE IN THE UK IS AS FOLLOWS: FIRSTLY YOU GO TO YOUR LOCAL GP WITH YOUR SYMPTOMS, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ADHESIONS THAT ARE AFFECTING YOUR BOWEL, THEN S/HE SHOULD REFER YOU TO A BOWEL SPECIALIST. THE BOWEL SPECIALIST SHOULD DO SOME NON INVASIVE TESTS EG, SCAN ETC. IF THE BOWEL SPECIALIST FEELS THAT YOU DO HAVE A PROBLEM THEN S/HE WILL AUTHORISE A LOOK SEE PROCEDURE, PROBABLY A LAP WITH AN EXPERIENCED SURGEON TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PAIN. IF YOUR SURGEON DIAGNOSES THAT YOU DO INDEED HAVE ADHESIONS, THEN YOU MUST ASK HIM HOW S/HE INTENDS TO PROCEED. S/HE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY SAY THAT S/HE INTENDS TO REMOVE THE ADHESIONS. S/HE WILL PROBABLY TELL YOU ABOUT THE NEW BARRIER METHODS AVAILABLE NOW, SOME OF WHICH ARE MADE IN THE UK. WE CAN SUPPLY YOU WITH REPORTS FROM SPECIALISTS, BEFORE YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
YOU SAY THAT YOUR GP (QUOTE) MY NEW GP, who says I'll only get one if a 'bowel' specialist she's sending me to see will agree to refer me anyway! HELEN, WHAT SHE IS SAYING IS, YOU WILL NOT GET ONE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT ONE, YOU WILL GET ONE IF THE SPECIALIST CAN'T DETECT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BY A NON INVASIVE PROCEDURE FIRST. THIS IS NORMAL PROCEDURE AND AS ADHESIONS ARE MAINLY CAUSED BY SURGERY IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF HER TO RECOMMEND SURGERY WITHOUT A PROPER DIAGNOSIS.
YOU ALSO SAY THAT SHE SENT ME TO SEE A BOWEL SPECIALIST (QUOTE (we decided on that as opposed to a gyno as I don't have bad periods, and my chiro said my bowel is involved) NOT ALL ADHESIONS ARE RELATED TO GYNIE PROBLEMS, YOU CAN HAVE ADHESIONS IN YOUR HANDS AND OTHER PLACES. AND NOT ALL BOWEL PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY ADHESIONS. ONCE AGAIN YOUR SURGEON WOULD BE FOOLHARDY TO GO AHEAD WITH SURGERY BEFORE TRYING NON INVASIVE PROCEDURES FIRST. ADHESIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT BUT SOME OTHER BOWEL DISORDERS ARE DETECTABLE USING A SCAN OR BARIUM X-RAY ETC.
YOUR LAST QUOTE) Or, should I forget the UK medics and start corresponding with Dr Korell's people to be on the safe side for a) diagnosis with lap then b) surgery depending on the outcome of the lap? IT IS YOUR CHOICE IF YOU WISH TO GO TO GERMANY FOR YOUR DIAGNOSIS BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY WILL MOST LIKELY FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURE AS THE MEDICS IN THE UK, EXCEPT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN THE UK MEDICS, WELL AS MUCH FAITH AS YOU CAN HAVE IN ANY MEDIC IN ANY COUNTRY.
I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING INFORMATION ON ADHESIONS AND NEW BARRIER METHODS BEING USED FOR SOME TIME NOW AND I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL SOON BE HEARING OF MANY SUCCESS STORIES COMING FROM THE UK, WHEN WE GET OUR FORUM UP AND RUNNING.
THE LEADING ADHESION SPECIALIST ON THE BOARD OF THE IAS IS FROM LONDON,UK. MOST OF THE INFORMATION COMES FROM THE N H S IN EDINBURGH UK AND MY SISTER MAKES ONE OF THE BARRIERS IN A FACTORY IN EDINBURGH UK.
I HAVE HAD AN ADHESIOLYSIS PROCEDURE DONE IN THE UK BEFORE WE HAD BARRIERS. I HAD 4 PAIN FREE YEARS BEFORE THE PAIN CAME BACK. I AM PLANNING TO HAVE MY NEXT ONE DONE BY THE SAME SURGEON BUT THIS TIME HE WILL USE A BARRIER AND DO A SECOND LOOK LAP. DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO HAS HAD LONGER THAN 4 YEARS WITHOUT PAIN AFTER GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR THEIR ADHESIOLYSIS PROCEDURE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
HELEN, I HOPE YOU GET YOUR DIAGNOSIS SOON, I KNOW IT IS HORRIBLE WHEN YOU ARE IN PAIN AND DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING IT, BUT YOU REALLY MUST GET A DIAGNOSIS BEFORE YOU CONTEMPLATE SURGERY OR YOU COULD END UP WITH ADHESIONS THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
YOU WERE RIGHT I WAS ON AMITRIPTYLINE TO HELP ME THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH THE PAIN, BUT NOW I TAKE 75MG OF FENTANYL PATCHES. THEY WORK OVER THREE DAYS, SO I AM COVERED THROUGH THE NIGHT. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM IT.
HELEN I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU TO MAKE YOUR DECISION, IN FRIENDSHIP KATH FINDLAY.