Re: looking for an adhesion surgical specialist
From: jetstamp (jetstamp@yahoo.com)
Mon Feb 9 17:03:32 2009
At Sun, 8 Feb 2009, cathy coakley wrote:
>
>I have had surger Twicw from Dr Andrew Cook
>pelvicpain.com
>he is in los gatos Calif 2 vital c are institute
>cathy
>
>--- On Thu, 1/29/09, Marlene Wheeler <wheelerski@msn.com> wrote:
>
>From: Marlene Wheeler <wheelerski@msn.com>
>Subject: Re: looking for an adhesion surgical specialist
>To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.obgyn.net>
>Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 9:12 PM
>
>#yiv518845384 .hmmessage P
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>Molly,
>My surgeon is in Wilks-Barrie Pa. About 2 1/2 hrs from NYC. He saved my life. Happens to be' I think one of the best Adhesion doctors in the country. It's Clark Gerhart. It won't hurt to at least talk to him by email. He has a way patients can send him info. clarkgerhart.com, and he will respond quickly especially if their is a pending emergency issue. I flew 2000plus miles to go to him, I had to have two surgeries in 6 mo with him, now it's been 2 years. He's really a great Dr and is able to get you in fairly quickly if your really having problems. He also is up on the latest barrier techniques.
>Good Luck!
>
>Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:36:01 -0600
>From: dlbaranes44@yahoo.com
>To: adhesions@mail.obgyn.net
>Subject: Re: looking for an adhesion surgical specialist
>
>HI Molly, have you checked out the Women's Surgery Group or there is a doctor named Collin Brathwaite. He has 2 offices on Long Island. If you type his name in the search box you can find out more about him. If I get insurance again I would like to see him myself. I have heard he has helped a couple of people with adhesion's.
>
>--- On Thu, 1/29/09, Molly <dimpsanne@aol.com> wrote:
>
>From: Molly <dimpsanne@aol.com>
>Subject: looking for an adhesion surgical specialist
>To: "Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS" <adhesions@mail.obgyn.net>
>Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 7:06 PM
>
>Over 10 years ago I had extensive surgery for severe adhesions that
>culminated in 3 sections of my bowel being removed. Recently, I have
>been having problems again. My former surgeon has retired and I live in
>a different area of NYS. I am looking for an adhesion surgical
>specialist in case of an emergency where I require surgery. My Doctors
>feel insurance coverage will not be an issue. Many folk in my area
>leave the area for medical care as it is remote. I am 5 hours from NYC,
>4.5 hours from Boston, 2 hours from Albany, and 45 mins. from
>Burlington, VT. If anyone has any recommendations I would be very
>grateful. I am fearful I will find myself in a crisis situation with a
>surgeon that does not have the expertise my situation warrants. Thanks
>so much.
>
>--
>Molly
>
>hi coll,....i hope i can help you. I too have had a complete
>hysterectomy due to severe endo and adhesions. In addition i also
>have had 3 bowel resections due to again endo of the bowel and
>additional adhesions. May i suggest to you that you consult with an
>endo specialist in addition to a gastro specialist that he/she
>recommends ? the symptoms you describe may be in fact endo and/or
>adhesions...and only a good endo DR. can work with you to discern what
>is going on. I can tell you that i also must plan my activities
>around my bowel on any given day of the week...it can be very
>disheartening and discouraging. no one likes to be defined as an
>illness nor have their life dictated by something that is "theirs"
>and
>yet can not control. your own body is betraying you so to speak. i
>try to view it as having diabetes or any other disease...this is just
>the way it is. i truly encourage you not to give up...there is a
>doctor out there just waiting to help you...you just have to find him
>or her. talk to your primary, attend a support group, search online
>for doctor recommendations online for your area...whatever it takes.
>i would bet that just doing this will help. you may not realize that
>having a hysterectomy does not neccesarily "cure" endo....it
>certainly
>does nothing to help adhesions and adhesions essentially can have the
>same effect on your body as endo. please know that i used to be a
>veteran on endo online support groups...it has been over a year since
>i posted a response to someone...but i can relate to your situation
>and i know firsthand the anguish you feel....it is so easy to get
>frustrated and depressed from the helplessness you can feel at
>times...that is why i encourage you to search for the right doctor...i
>am confident that your dailly discomfort can be improved and also the
>very act of searching and ultimately finding a doctor will make you
>feel better...you will be taking charge instead of reacting...good
>luck and god bless, molly
>
>htm
>
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I recently went to a physician who I found at the International
pelvicpain.org website. His info at the clinic website said his special
interests were endo and pelvic pain. There was no mention of adhesions,
but I figured that he'd be knowlegeable about them as well. However,
this was not the impression I got. He did not even examine my abdomen
which I told him was very tight which was supported by two physical
therapists I saw- adhesions were also mentioned as a possible source of
pain on my CT and MRI reports which I showed him.
I had a vaginal hysterectomy 10 years ago which did nothing. Also, the
hysterectomy was performed in a rushed manner because the physician who
did it was several hours late because he had been called away to deliver
a baby when I was supposed to be having surgery. Therefore, I don't
think any real 'investigating' was done- just a rushed hysterectomy. The
doctor didn't seem to want to talk to me in any depth once the
hysterectomy was done so I never got any feedback from him- guess he
figured he got his money for the surgery and was not interested in how I
felt. When he asked me how I felt, and I said I had no improvement, he
said 'I think you feel better'.
This doctor I recently saw seemed to think any problems should have been
found during surgery, but I think more often than not if you have
surgery for something specific, like a hysterectomy, they just go in and
do it and then get out as soon as possible. After all, they get paid
either way.
So, I'm not sure how to search for someone who knows about and treats
adhesions- what should the search term be? I've tried adhesiology with
no results. I'm in Mpls.-St.Paul, MN area. Found nothing at Mayo.
My issues began in 1984 from doing a job that was physically intense and
repetitive. I sometimes think about cartoon characters who either fall
or bump into something, and then their bodies become all twisted and
distorted and they can barely walk or move. But then shortly after they
have another accident and everything magically returns to normal. Wonder
if this would work for some of us- kind of like 'a hair of the dog that
bit you'?!!