Multiple Surgeries and Negligence: Have You Experienced Similar Medical Ordeals?

[Evo]

Well, I have been having many serious pains, all starting with a supposedly simple 3 in one stomach operation 3 years ago. Ever since, I have been worse, excrutiating stomach pain and distension, inability to swallow solids without choking and vomiting, and severe chest pain.

On my insistence, I had another endoscopy and upper GI late last year which showed all of the original problems that supposedly were fixed by the first surgery were still there, and then some.

So, yesterday I went to my doctor and told him something needs to be done. He looks at the reports of the tests, and finally says "well, not all surgeons are good", that one doesn't seem to be a good one (the one that did my operations), I need to refer you, you need more surgery. My first surgery seems to have been badly botched, I cannot begin to tell you the amount of suffering it has caused.

So, I tell Evo Child I need more surgery and she looks at me like I just couldn't have done anything more to inconvenience her. She goes "AGAIN? Are you kidding me?"

After the ordeal I went through at "crazy hospital" last time where the staff almost let me die out of negligence, I am absolutely terrified of another hospital stay.



Anyway, has anyone had to have multiple nissan fundoplications, multiple hiatal hernia repair and multiple esophageal dilatations? I told the first doctor that I was certain that the esophageal dilatation was never done and he just coughed and changed the subject.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Sorry to hear all that Evo! Firstly I would perhaps look to getting a second opinion. Then if it goes further be sure to thoroughly explain all the issues with your consultant. Stress all the troubles you've had in the past and avoid going to the same places like the plague.

I'm afraid I don't know anyone who has had the same problems but I hope you get it sorted soon. With matters of health it is important to proceed cautiously and make sure you get the best possible care.

 

[micromass]

Oh no I'm sorry that you need to go through all that, I wish I could help.

Do get the second operation done. Not all doctors and hospitals are incompetent. Do try to give it another chance

Don't worry about Evo Child, I'm sure she's very concerned. But it's not easy to see your loved ones suffer...

I do hope these things get sorted out. You deserve better than constant pain.

 

[NeoDevin]

Sue the first surgeon and retire?

 

[Evo]

Sue the first surgeon and retire?

You know, it's beginning to look like their was a serious error from the way my doctor kept reading the results of the last tests over and over then saying what he did.

Thanks Ryan and micro!

 

[Moonbear]

You know, it's beginning to look like their was a serious error from the way my doctor kept reading the results of the last tests over and over then saying what he did.

Thanks Ryan and micro!

You might want to try asking some pointed questions when you meet with the second specialist. "Is this a typical complication from the procedure?" "How often is a second surgery required?" "Is there anything that could have been done differently in the first surgery to avoid this?" "Was everything I was told would be performed actually performed?"

If your doctor's direct quote really was, "Not all surgeons are good," that does raise a real concern that it wasn't done right the first time, and not that you're just one of the unlucky few who run into complications requiring further surgical intervention.

 

[turbo]

Sorry to hear of the problems, Evo. More surgery isn't fun, but if it's required to get you somewhat back to normal, you may have to go through with it. Good luck, and please get referrals from others who have had similar surgery. The things your doctor was saying about your original surgeon don't sound good.

Good luck!

 

[Evo]

If your doctor's direct quote really was, "Not all surgeons are good," that does raise a real concern that it wasn't done right the first time, and not that you're just one of the unlucky few who run into complications requiring further surgical intervention.

Those were his words, verbatim. He then told me he was going to refer me to a different surgeon, which he did. I am also going to see another gastroenterologist that was highly recomended to me by another doctor. I'm asuming my doctor is going to send my records to the new surgeon, but I want another opinion on what happened and what's wrong. When I mentioned to my doctor I wasn't having the standard symptoms he said I wouldn't with a condition this advanced. Well, who's fault is that? I've been complaining of this constantly since the operation. My insurance company said I had 64 pages of doctors visits and notes on this same complaint as of last June!

Sorry to hear of the problems, Evo. More surgery isn't fun, but if it's required to get you somewhat back to normal, you may have to go through with it. Good luck, and please get referrals from others who have had similar surgery. The things your doctor was saying about your original surgeon don't sound good.

Good luck!

I'm really terrified. I will not return to that hospital, that's the first question I'm going to ask, at which hospitals do you have priveleges.

 

[Fra]

Sorry to hear about your situation, in addition to what's been said already:

I told the first doctor that I was certain that the esophageal dilatation was never done and he just coughed and changed the subject.

This kind of situation is bad since you are in a dependence position. Maybe you need a second person, a friend or so, that can do the argumentation for you on your behalf so you don't even have to listen to it. In the situation where you are a patient, it shouldn't be your job to argue with such stuff or insurance companies. Your mental energy is probably better spent elsewhere.

I'm just curious if your stomach pain correlates to food intake or if it's constant or otherwise random over the day?

/Fredrik

 

[Pengwuino]

Awww poor evo :( That sucks! I hope everything works out in the end.

Sounds like you need to ban that surgeon >:)

 

[Fredrik]

nissan fundoplications

At first I thought this meant that you had to sell your cars to pay for the other things.

(I did some googling, and apparently there's something called "nissen fundoplication").

 

[turbo]

Evo has all kinds of troubles, Woolie has had to give up his job and driving privileges due to some sort of seizure activity, and I have killer migraines, respiratory failure, and arthritis flare-ups whenever I get near anybody wearing perfumes and fragrances used in laundry products. We should (all three) move to a desert island, but we'd probably get killed in a huge lightning strike - just because.

 

[Evo]

At first I thought this meant that you had to sell your cars to pay for the other things.

(I did some googling, and apparently there's something called "nissen fundoplication").

LOL, I misspelled it, after typing it a hundred times, yes nissen.

 

[mishrashubham]

I am sorry to hear about that Evo... I can understand Evo Child's concern since my mother too has had multiple surgeries on her left leg. She suffers from chronic pain and cannot bend her knee only due to the negligence of her first surgeon. She has recently begun to have a lot if pain in her back and I shudder at the thought of her having to go through another surgery.

Hope you get well soon.

 

[Evo]

I'm just curious if your stomach pain correlates to food intake or if it's constant or otherwise random over the day?

/Fredrik

Hi Frederik, it's constant pain in my abdomen and crushing heart attack like episodes randomly. They wake me from a deep sleep, happen in the middle of the day, have nothing to do with eating or drinking, not set off by acid reflux. When I asked my doctor about this, he said the reason nothing seems to trigger them is because the damage to my esophagus is so severe.

The reason it's so severe is that I complained about vomiting in my sleep for three years and the doctor just prescribed prevacid and acted like there was nothing else to be done. It wasn't until I started vomiting blood that he actually referred me to a specialist. Then the specialist said he'd rarely seen such a bad case, he said usually people can't wait that long to see a doctor.

 

[micromass]

Hi Frederik, it's constant pain in my abdomen and crushing heart attack like episodes randomly. They wake me from a deep sleep, happen in the middle of the day, have nothing to do with eating or drinking, not set off by acid reflux. When I asked my doctor about this, he said the reason nothing seems to trigger them is because the damage to my esophagus is so severe.

The reason it's so severe is that I complained about vomiting in my sleep for three years and the doctor just prescribed prevacid and acted like there was nothing else to be done. It wasn't until I started vomiting blood that he actually referred me to a specialist. Then the specialist said he'd rarely seen such a bad case, he said usually people can't wait that long to see a doctor.

Go get that surgery done! Asap!

 

[Borek]

Poor Evo

I like the part about suing the surgeon.

 

[Fra]

Hi Frederik, it's constant pain in my abdomen and crushing heart attack like episodes randomly. They wake me from a deep sleep, happen in the middle of the day, have nothing to do with eating or drinking, not set off by acid reflux. When I asked my doctor about this, he said the reason nothing seems to trigger them is because the damage to my esophagus is so severe.

The reason it's so severe is that I complained about vomiting in my sleep for three years and the doctor just prescribed prevacid and acted like there was nothing else to be done. It wasn't until I started vomiting blood that he actually referred me to a specialist. Then the specialist said he'd rarely seen such a bad case, he said usually people can't wait that long to see a doctor.

That doesn't sound nice :( I only have experience with very modest but partly reviding gastritis which was cured by regular medical tretment, the kind of pain from stomach where you are also feeling sick is really painful and it was the worst pain I've felt myself.

Good that you've seen a specialist finally to make a proper diagnosis and treatment, I guess better late than never but that's annoying.

Do the specialist know what the cause of the esophageal narrow lumen is in the first place? (as I assume this has been part factor for your chronic condition; which then worsened due frequent vomiting etc) Ie. did you always have a normally slightly narrow lumen since birth or is it cause be an underlying condition?

It sounds good that you finally see a specialist that will look further than the superficial symptoms and no just give you a pill and tell you to go home, but to make sure they find the root cause and treat the right thing.

/Fredrik

 

[Astronuc]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Evo.

I hope the new doctor can resolve/fix the complications of earlier surgeries. And do ask the pointed questions that Moonbear mentioned.

I don't think multiple surgeries of the same kind are normal. Based on what the new specialist indicates, one might wish to consult a lawyer.

 

[Evo]

That doesn't sound nice :( I only have experience with very modest but partly reviding gastritis which was cured by regular medical tretment, the kind of pain from stomach where you are also feeling sick is really painful and it was the worst pain I've felt myself.

Good that you've seen a specialist finally to make a proper diagnosis and treatment, I guess better late than never but that's annoying.

Do the specialist know what the cause of the esophageal narrow lumen is in the first place? (as I assume this has been part factor for your chronic condition; which then worsened due frequent vomiting etc) Ie. did you always have a normally slightly narrow lumen since birth or is it cause be an underlying condition?

It sounds good that you finally see a specialist that will look further than the superficial symptoms and no just give you a pill and tell you to go home, but to make sure they find the root cause and treat the right thing.

/Fredrik

No, the specialist was 3 years ago, he was the one that ordered the surgery, and he's the one I've been complaining to about the post surgical problems as well as to my GM, which has now advised me that i need more surgery. The original specialist said I needed surgery last year, but refused to order it saying it was "too risky" and to continue with prevacid or nexium. I found out that the surgery has torn and "slipped", and that no amount of medication can fix it, I don't know the extent of the damage or exactly what my condition is. The medication is just to prevent further damage to my esophagus from reflux.

Fra, I had no history of problems with my esophagus prior to the GERD. The problem with my espohagus is the scar tissue and strictures formed from the almost constant reflux and vomiting.

I don't know if the new surgeon will agree to risk surgery, but I need it, but I am terrified of letting anyone near me or putting me back in the hospital.

 

[Fra]

I don't know if the new surgeon will agree to risk surgery, but I need it, but I am terrified of letting anyone near me or putting me back in the hospital.

I fully understand your fear given your history I'm myself a bit of a control freak and would struggle to just accept to get sedated.

I suppose one would weigh the risk of surgery (after all even the simplest surgery is formally a small risk, which they have to inform you about, so none does a surgery for no reason) vs the risk of not doing one.

Maybe you can ask to get referred to "specialist surgeon" and meet them as well and ask them to explain in depth how it's to be done. I know myself how I work: understanding something always give you a feeling of more control and makes it less stressful. For someone with good imagination - not knowing - is usually much worse than knowing the truth even if it's sometimes not easy either. But at least it may stop your head from spinning.

Good luck, I'm sure it will work out well in the end!

/Fredrik

 

[Mel White]

It sounds as though some of the doctors aren't taking you seriously (in other words, when you show up with a symptom they dismiss it or don't take it as seriously as they should.) I would recommend changing doctors. Docs that see a lot of patients often look at the patient as a 'framework' -- and you get classified as to "it's a 40 year old patient with blahblahblah." While that works most of the time, it also works against you.

I'd get that second opinion and talk to your insurance company about legal actions involving the first surgery.