Postby weisssoccermom » Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:02 pm
Gaelen's point is well worth taking and....it doesn't just apply to patients who couldn't complete a colonoscopy. Most of us, unless an emergency, have had, prior to surgery, the full tests run before any surgery. That would include a CT or PET to determine if there is anything anywhere else.
You mentioned that this surgeon was an intern at Mason. Are you from the Seattle area?? I do understand your dilemma but....still, you're talking about a surgeon operating on what?? Would this surgeon be operating solely on the colon or would he include the bladder?? Would you have a urology consult before surgery?? Would this same surgeon be doing some bladder surgery??
FYI - surgeons are all (or at least SHOULD be) board certified in general surgery. That means that they can do most surgeries, including colorectal surgery, but......again, this is not necessarily their specialty. Again, my opinion, but if you're talking about your pelvic area you really need to see a surgeon who is board certified in that specialty. This would mean that (a) the surgeon has first been certified in general surgery and (b) has gone above and beyond that and done more training and a fellowship in colorectal surgery. In other words, way more experience and then solely operating on just the colon and rectal areas. Sort of off topic, but if I had breast cancer, I wouldn't want a surgeon who routinely operates on colon/rectums as well as breasts and gallbladders, hernias, etc. The more exclusive and more surgeries that any surgeon does in one particular area, hopefully the better he/she is in that area.
Although I certainly can't address the monetary/job issues, I would certainly hope that this doesn't preclude you from seeking out the services of a board certified colorectal surgeon. Please consider getting a second opinion, preferably with a specialist and before surgery (again unless this is a life threatening emergency), get all the standard pre-op testing done and meet with any other surgical specialists beforehand as well as with a medical onc. Down the road, you don't want to regret not doing so.
We all have faced the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis and yes, it's very scary. Please, however, take some time, get the testing done and make 100% certain that you are in the best hands possible. While being an Intern of the year is indeed a high honor, it only reflects the person's skills one year out of medical school and certainly doesn't indicate anything about his/her surgical skills. By the way, Virginia Mason is not a medical school - a good hospital, but not a medical school and at the time of being an intern, didn't even begin his surgical residency.
Jaynee
Dx 6/22/2006 IIA rectal cancer
6 wks rad/Xeloda -finished 9/06
1st attempt transanal excision 11/06
11/17/06 XELOX 1 cycle
5 months Xeloda only Dec '06 - April '07
10+ blood clots, 1 DVT 1/07
transanal excision 4/20/07 path-NO CANCER CELLS!
NED now and forever!
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