Re: how do they check for re-occurance?

[Guest guest]

Yes there is a way to find out if it does re grow get another cat scan done and a second opinion Dr.

The doctor who did my reconstruction said everything was fine and then 4 yrs later I find out it came back and no one wanted to remove it.

2nd opinions always work.

Patti aka DLPHM

-- how do they check for re-occurance?

Hi everyone! Happy New Year. Its been a while since I've posted but

I've been checking in regularily. I am now 2 1/2 months post-op from a

first time tympano-mastoidectomy. They left a bit of packing in over my

eardrum that they re-grafted. I was to have it removed Feb.13. I

started to have sharp pains in my ear 6 days ago and I phoned the

surgeon. They had me come to Calgary right away to take the packing out

early. There was no sign of any infection and he had no explanation for

the pains. I feel fine now and he is pleased with my hearing.I

definately notice a change for the worse but he tells me its almost as

good as it was before surgery. He wants to see me again in 2 months. I

asked him how we will know if there is any reoccurance and all he told

me was "I will keep my eye on it" This answer does not satisfy me. Can

any of you explain to me how they would test me or check me to see if

there is re-growth? I thought through all of my research that it isnt

something they can just "see" through their machines. Please let me

know.

Thanks everyone, much white light to you all.

Joanne

[Guest guest]

Joane,

Other than a periodic visual inspection, most doctors will want to see

you if experience pain, discharge, chronic fullness feeling, or a change

in hearing capability. That's a little frustrating, but it's what we

live with.

Matt

joannelpo121 wrote:

>

> Hi everyone! Happy New Year. Its been a while since I've posted but

> I've been checking in regularily. I am now 2 1/2 months post-op from a

> first time tympano-mastoidectomy. They left a bit of packing in over my

> eardrum that they re-grafted. I was to have it removed Feb.13. I

> started to have sharp pains in my ear 6 days ago and I phoned the

> surgeon. They had me come to Calgary right away to take the packing out

> early. There was no sign of any infection and he had no explanation for

> the pains. I feel fine now and he is pleased with my hearing.I

> definately notice a change for the worse but he tells me its almost as

> good as it was before surgery. He wants to see me again in 2 months. I

> asked him how we will know if there is any reoccurance and all he told

> me was " I will keep my eye on it " This answer does not satisfy me. Can

> any of you explain to me how they would test me or check me to see if

> there is re-growth? I thought through all of my research that it isnt

> something they can just " see " through their machines. Please let me

> know.

> Thanks everyone, much white light to you all.

> Joanne

>

>

--

[Guest guest]

Thanks Matt and Patti for your reply, I am thankful that so far

everything looks good....hopefully this question wont become an issue

for me

Take good care,

:)Joanne

--- In cholesteatoma , "

[Guest guest]

Your welcome Joanne

Good luck

PATTI AKA DLPHM

-- Re: how do they check for re-occurance?

Thanks Matt and Patti for your reply, I am thankful that so far

everything looks good....hopefully this question wont become an issue

for me

Take good care,

:)Joanne

--- In cholesteatoma , "

[Guest guest]

Yeah but Matt what if you do experience all this and no one still doesn't wanna listen to you???

Also Oregon's malpractice liability expires in 2 yrs after surgery and it's been 4 yrs for me.

What can I do now?

-------Original Message-------

From:

[Guest guest]

Dlphm,

I'm not sure that malpractice should even enter the picture. Our

problem seems to be that NOBODY is listening to us as patients - and

there is often something wrong. Second (or third or fourth) opinions

are about the only route that we have. Perhaps it's more important that

if we're not feeling well that doctors be encouraged to do exploratory

surgery. Elke's situation certainly points to that. Yes, it wasn't

cholesteatoma, but it sure was something wrong that was correctable.

Elke I hope you're continuing to feel better.

How can malpractice even enter the picture when only seeking repeated

opinions seems to yield action? What are we going to do - sue every

otologist in the country? It would help both the doctors and ourselves

if we recognize that this is a difficult disease to deal with. We need

to stop threatening them and they need to start listening better. ...

and those lousy insurance companies better butt out!

If I'm not feeling well ... I'll probably complain to my wife and she'll

get the doctor to listen. I think he'd listen to me anyway, but I guess

we all need a strong advocate to fight for us. I realize that we don't

all have someone close to us that listens, but it sure helps.

Is there concern that the cholesteatoma is growing back in an area where

the doctor can't visually spot it? Sure! Would a CT scan catch it?

Maybe ... only maybe. Think about how often people have said that their

doctor was surprised at how big the cholesteatoma actually was once they

operated. I'm going to plan to keep my appointments and rely on my

doctor to catch it as early as possible.

What can you do now? If you're not feeling well, get to an otologist

.... and a second or a third one if need be. That seems to be the best

thing we have going. My biggest concern right now is that we have

adequate talented numbers of otologists coming on the scene from med

schools. They all look a little gray to me.

Matt

dlphm07 wrote:

>

> Yeah but Matt what if you do experience all this and no one still

> doesn't wanna listen to you???

> Also Oregon's malpractice liability expires in 2 yrs after surgery and

> it's been 4 yrs for me.

> What can I do now?

>

>

> /-------Original Message-------/

>

> /*From:*/

[Guest guest]

Matt

malpractice enters with me cause the doctor who did my reconstruction surgery didn't In the state of Oregon didn't do it right and used me as a Lab rat.

-------Original Message-------

From: