Re: FW: UK Doctors Warned About Post-Op Adhesions Article 20 Adh July 10th 2001

From: cindy shruhan (cindyandbobby@webtv.net)
Fri Nov 8 10:35:45 2002


At Fri, 8 Nov 2002, cindy shruhan wrote: >
>At Fri, 8 Nov 2002, Kath Findlay wrote:
>>
>>Hi Cindy,
>>
>>This is the original article.
>>
>>In Friendship Kath Findlay
>>
>>The UK Adhesions Society
>>
>>http://www.adhesions.org.uk
>>
>> <mailto:Kath.Findlay@adhesions.org.uk> Kath.Findlay@adhesions.org.uk
>>
>>Please feel free to roam the UKAS website, research all about Adhesions,
>>causes, treatment and prevention.
>>
>>United we stand Knowledge is power ARD is our fight Surrender never
>>
>>UK Doctors Warned About Post-Op Adhesions Article 20 Adh
>>July 10th 2001
>>
>>************************************************************************
>>************************************************************************
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>>
>>--
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>>
>>LONDON (Reuters Health) Jul 09 - Physicians in the UK have been warned
>>that they need to be more aware that patients with abdominal pain who
>>have recently undergone surgery may have a potentially dangerous tissue
>>adhesion.
>>
>>The caution comes from a senior surgeon who has investigated the number
>>of medico-legal claims against physicians involving adhesions over the
>>last decade. Dr. Harold Ellis, from Guy's Hospital in London, found that
>>surgical complications are a growing source of litigation.
>>
>>"Surgeons, gynaecologists and general practitioners must be alert to the
>>possibility that obstructive symptoms early and late after abdominal
>>surgery are likely to be caused by adhesions," Dr. Ellis writes in the
>>July issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. "Delayed
>>diagnosis can result in gangrene and even perforation of the
>>strangulated bowel, with substantial morbidity and mortality."
>>
>>Along with life-threatening blockages in the small bowel, adhesions can
>>cause infertility and severe abdominal pain. Up to 70% of all cases of
>>small bowel obstruction are thought to be due to adhesions. One of the
>>biggest dangers is that surgery to remove the obstruction carries a high
>>risk of further complications, such as perforations to surrounding
>>tissue.
>>
>>Dr. Ellis examined records from the UK's Medical Protection Society
>>(MPS) and Medical Defence Union (MDU), medico-legal bodies that
>>represent physicians in cases of litigation.
>>
>>Between 1989 and 1999, MPS records showed that 13 patients had claimed
>>damages as a result of adhesions. In nine of these cases, general
>>practitioners were accused of delaying or failing to make a diagnosis,
>>three were against gynaecologists for missed diagnosis and bowel damage
>>during surgery, and one was against a surgeon — again for bowel damage.
>>
>>MDU data showed there had been 77 claims by patients. Most referred to
>>delayed or missed diagnoses, but many cases involved internal injuries,
>>pain and infertility. Fourteen of the MDU cases had been settled out of
>>court at an average £50,765 per case.
>>
>>"General practitioners, surgeons and gynaecologists need to be aware of
>>the increasing burden of medico-legal claims arising from these
>>complications," Dr. Ellis writes. But he stressed it can be difficult
>>for GPs to accurately diagnose a blockage because they see so few cases.
>>
>>"A general practitioner may see one case every 5 or 10 years, or never
>>see one at all," he told Reuters Health.
>>
>>Dr. Ellis added the high risk of adhesions meant patients should
>>routinely be informed of the risks before giving consent to surgery.
>>Current advice to surgeons is that patients should be notified if there
>>is more than a 1% risk of them being damaged.
>>
>>"In the US, some surgeons video the interview with the patient [just] in
>>case, 2 years later, the patient says nobody told them [about the
>>risks]," he said. "There are some operations that we know are very
>>likely to produce small bowel obstruction. For example, a total removal
>>of the colon carries a 25% risk."
>>
>>He said surgeons might be able to limit the risks of adhesions to the
>>small intestine. One way might be to avoid starch-powdered gloves,
>>because the powder can come off and create blockages. These gloves were
>>commonly used up until the early 1980s, but have since become less
>>popular.
>>
>SWEET KATH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS INFO, AND I PRAY YOUR DAY IS GOING
>GOOD, INFO TO ME IS KNOWLEDGE, AND IM ONE TO STAND UP, AND BE HEARD..SO
>I THANK YOU FROM MY HEART..A NEW FRIEND CINDY SHRUHAN..............
>cindyandbobby@webtv.net
>
>--
>I'M VISUALLY IMPAIRED, I NEED THE CAP'S IN ORDER TO TYPE, NOT TO OFFEND ANYONE..THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING...
>

SWEET KATH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE ENTIRE INFO, AND YES MY FRIEND I PRINTED THE ENTIRE THING UP, AS THIS INFO IS IMPERATIVE TO OUR CAUSE, I THANK YOU SWEET SOUL FOR POSTING THIS..GREAT JOB KATH..LOVE AND NEW FRIEND CINDY SHRUHAN.................... cindyandbobby@webtv.net

--
I'M VISUALLY IMPAIRED, I NEED THE CAP'S IN ORDER TO TYPE, NOT TO OFFEND ANYONE..THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING...

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