amen to this!!! I thought I would give my experience once again with my past and now my "savior" doctor just in case people need a good and compassionate doctor! god bless all! Ok, I will give you as much information as I possibly can muster up. The whole reason I am posting sooo much on this board about Dr Semertzides is so possibly at least one person out there will not have to suffer with this just as much as I have. Everything I told and am about to tell you is the absolute truth. I lived w/adhesions for approx. 2 years. With 8 surgeries to remove them. One of those times almost killed me due to the fact the doctor (not Dr Semertzides) nicked my bowel in 2 places and closed me up that way. All of the contents in my bowel were emptied into my body and I went into septic shock. Thank god my husband is a paramedic and knew what to look for. He saved my life. Anyways, I was suffering w/a partial bowel obstruction d/t adhesions and in pain and suffering just as you all are. I had been on the internet a million and one times to find just SOMEONE who could actually help. I once again went on and there he was. What a god miracle! I had never seen him before! Ok, low down on everything.Dr Semertzides was trained to do surgery from the doctor who invented laprascopic surgery! He is the only ONE licensed in the US to perform this procedure! He cuts and burns the adhesive tissue inside. Then applies what is called a fibrin protein. AKA Fibrin Glue.(dont quote me on name...think this is what it is called) He then freezes that spot to stop blood flow to that area. The fibrin glue lasts approx 12 days while the body heals as this is the time the adhesions will normally form. Adhesions may return, but will NOT be nearly as severe. Now, his success rate is this.....35 % will never need surgery again......35% may need one more surgery to correct everything....the rest will never be cured. so go into this with your eyes open. But I will tell you this.....I am a paramedic as well, and in good conscience, would NEVER recommend this, unless it worked! And IT DID!! I have not felt this good in years. I still have little, itty bitty twinges of pain but I gotta tell you...I live again and NOT ON PAIN MEDS. Excedrin (acetaminophen) takes that little twinge away. I had surgery back in October, and on a normal basis, would have been crawling with pain by now. I am doing AWESOME!!! Thank Dr Semertzides when you meet him and tell him Christina Adams from Tennessee sent you. Now about hospital....your going to love this!! NO PAIN the entire time you are there!! The staff (nurses) are absolutely awesome! They are asking if you need pain meds before you are LOL. The hospital that he performs the surgery at is Bethesda North in Cinncinnati, OH. I was there for 2 weeks but I had an unusual situation. He said normally people are there 3 days. But I was partially obstructed and had to have IV food to strengthen my body before I could survive the surgery. I was there 3 days after my surgery. And he made sure I was not in any pain for the trip home. I don't know about insurance. You would have to call to find out. Below is the link to his website. Oh yea....forgot about this....YOU GET TO WATCH YOUR SURGERY ON DVD AFTER THE SURGERY!!! There is absolutely no question as to what went on!!! If you have any other questions.....feel free to email me. Best of Luck to all...May God give each and every one of you the strength to survive and get back to living!!! Love Always Christina A. Maryville, TN. In a message dated 4/23/2009 8:50:13 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tracy.joslin@adhesions.org writes: From: adhesions@adhesions.org [mailto:adhesions@adhesions.org] On Behalf Of BBLDEB@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 8:58 PM To: adhesions-request@adhesions.org Subject: Re: Link I gave in previous post stopped working
JetStamp... Just wanted to say that it is typical for doctor's to think that way. The problem is that they are not used to dealing with the adhesions, and most that say it aren't surgeon's. Which says a lot in itself. Any good surgeon knows that adhesions will form within 3 hours to 7 days Post-Op or Post injury. There is nothing that can be done about it unless some sort of adhesion barrier is put in place. I think this is one reason that so many doctor's say that "US" as patients are either : "Out of our minds", "Have No Life other than to think of ways to get pain meds (drugs)", "need psychiatric evaluations and help", "think of ways to get away from home or daily lives", "make things up to get disability" etc... I have heard and seen so many excuses. None of which are true. Hard to believe that a little small scope in the abdomen can say alot for itself, if only a "GOOD" doctor would be willing to go the small step and just "LOOK". If they did, then most of us wouldn't be in the predicament that we are today. Some of us would actually have a child(ren), and some of us would be leading a very active life. Some of us wouldn't have lost our jobs and some of us would still be working today with a REAL LIFE. And to think we depend on these doctors to save our lives every day. I have a doctor right now that actually wants me to wait till I am "Almost Dead" and have a "Total blockage" before he will even "LOOK" to see what is going on with me. He doesn't care whether or not I am in pain, or that I only get to eat every few days because I vomit so much. He is a general surgeon. And he also did my gastric bypass, but didn't look in the abdomen to see if there was any "ISSUES" that needed tending to. I have tried to show him and prove to him what is wrong, but he doesn't want the responsibility of doing the surgery, because he could cut into my bowels and cost me my life. With all my allergies and the limits of medicines that I can take, it does make it hard for him to say "OK". So he chooses not to do anything. And I am left with the circumstances from it. So, yes, in answer to your email.... It does happen, it will happen and the only thing we can do is hope to find a doctor that ACTUALLY knows what he is talking about and is willing to LISTEN to US for a change and help us the way that needs to be helped and find a barrier that will work.. in the USA. (Or where ever you are from). God speed and Bless you all. ~Debbie