Re: What to ask a surgeon when you go for a consult?
From: Jen in Houston (jennifer.bayles@sbmimodco.com)
Thu Aug 25 21:04:55 2005
Hi Ivy. Well, much as it pains me to say it, we here in the US are
pretty well out of luck when it comes to SprayGel and the gasless lap
technique. As far as I know, the abdolift is not used here. As for
seprafilm and interceed, my surgeon refuses to use it. He's had far
worse results using those barriers on adhesion patients than if he used
nothing. When seprafilm first came out he started using it and within a
few months those same patients were back on the table with what looked
like a belly full of cement. So now he uses no barriers and waits until
desperation or full obstruction sets in before going back in for more
lysis. What's a doc here in the US to do? Some surgeons actually do
understand adhesions and the havoc they wreak, they just don't have the
best tools available to them.
In your search for a surgeon on your insurance, you might try calling
and asking if Dr. X even treats people with adhesions before making an
appointment. I've done that myself and it saved me a lot of time,
money, legwork and heartache. Some surgeons just run from adhesions
patients.
At Tue, 23 Aug 2005, Ivy wrote:
>
>I have to find a surgeon in my area so that when the time comes for
>adhesiolysis I'm prepared and have my ducks in a row.