http://www.restministries.org/medicalrecords.htm
About 3 weeks ago I finally asked my husband to go to the hospital ( where he had cancer surgery 10 years ago ) to request copies of his surgical records.
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The following is taken from his 10-year-old surgical records:
"Six days following resection, there appeared old bloody drainage in a Jackson-Pratt drain. Within 24 hours, there was an obvious leak, but peristalsis was present. It was managed satisfactorily by the drain. Gradually, he developed pain, fever and evidence of ongoing localized sepsis. There was persistent air under the diaphragm along with active peristalsis. Hyperalimentation was initiated. He did not progress to normal healing and convalescence, but did not become acutely ill either. On the ninth postoperative day, flexible sigmoidoscopy was carried out to evaluate the anastomotic line and as expected a leak was present. There appeared to be an ischemic necrosis of a segment of colon at the anastomosis."
------------------- The afternoon of the ninth day I watched as a nurse checked the drainage ------------------- tube in his abdomen - which was draining a tan colored liquid, which I
-- ------------------- thought did not look as it should.Unexpectedly, that same night his doctor called and told me that I had to come to the hospital; because he needed my signature in order to do an emergency surgery on my husband. My husband had developed peritonitis as a result of a leak in a portion of his colon, which had been resected nine days previously.
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In the surgeon's notes from my husband's second surgery, the following -------------------- words confirm that my husband had developed adhesions following his -------------------- first surgery:
" Tedious careful dissection of very extensive adhesions was carried out, mobilizing the small bowel *only to the extent to allow it to be reflected out of the way* and mobilizing the colon in order to obtain enough mobility to expose the hyperplastic adenoma at the pelvic brim and allow for approximation of the open ends of the bowel after resection. *Extreme care* was taken not to disturb the blood supply, hence viability of the colon. This was done*extremely gently* to avoid any injury."
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Neither my husband nor I were told that adhesions had developed from the first surgery!!! We did not know that adhesions are the result of every surgery - that this is the way the body heals itself.
Considering that I had not yet been diagnosed (not until 1997) as having adhesionst, both of us were in the dark; BUT we both knew that he was continuing to have chronic severe pain following that surgery. As a result of requesting his surgical report, NOW WE KNOW!!
I encourage all of you to request copies of your medical and surgical reports!! If your surgery was videotaped -- request a copy of the video(s) too! These comprise YOUR medical history - and could prove very helpful in the future.
-- The 15th century proverb which summarizes the purpose of medicine is: * To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always. *