Re: stitch in spinal cord-help

[Guest guest]

Oh, Amy, I am so sorry to hear that the doctor slipped

up. I can't imagine it was normal to have stitched

through the nerve roots and attached them to the dura.

You should try to consult with nsgs outside your

area, if possible. Maybe someone here can help with

that, with docs who could tell you if this is normal

practice. You might need to find evidence in journals

and such, on this type of thing, but honestly, I just

can't imagine it's normal. WOW!!

And to only suggest pain management. He should have

checked to see. An MRI is noninvasive. Why not just

do one to rule out further deterioration?

Good luck, Amy, and I hope you can be patched back up.

I'm usually very anti-litigation, but if this guy is

doing this surgery to a lot of people, at the very

least there should be a big smack on his head to make

him knock it off.

--- Amy wrote:

> I don't post very often but I really need some

> advice. I had my first TSC release in Louisville,KY

> in July 2006. A few days later I had a CSF leak

> repair. I continued to get more symptoms and more

> sick every day. The NS said " the surgery was just

> harder on adults than kids and go to pain

> management. I saw several doctors in town and they

> all assumed my NS had done everything that needed to

> be done. He has a very good reputation. So I

> couldn't even get a post op MRI. I knew there was

> something wrong. I did not go to pain management.

> Oct. 2007 I went to TCI. They did a total mri and

> some other test. They found a severe CSF leak and a

> stitch from the previous surgery that went through

> my spinal cord nerve roots and attached them to my

> dura and scare tissue had formed all over the roots.

> When they did the surgery to repair this they said

> it was like trying to separate over cooked spaghetti

> without breaking a noodle. It took the docs twice as

> long as they had expected. I have

> damage to my left leg, kidney, bowels, and bladder.

> No one knows how permanent this is. I am considering

> a lawsuit. Has anyone been told that a stitch in

> your spinal cord is a risk of the surgery? The

> attorney I talked to said a NS would have to say it

> should not have been a risk for this to be a case.

> And where I live all the NS will cover for each

> other. Not only has this effected my health, it has

> effected my finances (travel and out of network

> expenses). I desperately need this question

> answered!!!!!

>

> Both of my children had tsc release right after I

> did in 2006 by the same doc in Louisville. They are

> also having some problems and all he did was order

> PT. I am taking them to TCI at the end of Jan.

>

>

> Amy L.

> " You must be the change you wish to see in the

> world " ~Gandhi

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with

> Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

Check out my blog: http://princessmatildalovestostamp.blogspot.com

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

[Guest guest]

Amy I feel your pain an frustration soooo....I too had the spinal

leak

and I had it for about 4yrs and was n tremendous pain true it would

come and go but sometimes i would b down for wks at a time and it was

all so confusing for me and my family.You see I was born with spinal

bifida and i did have the surg at the time of my birth but I was

around 40 when these probs began and I had had 3children!!I had lived

a

very active life and this was all to much for me.Finally I got

married

I had insurance and I found I had the tc and the leak and a few more

complicated issues but the surg was done in jan 2004 and since I have

never been able to move the rt foot nor lift the rt arm much at

all,now

the past yr y it affects the bladder bowels mostly bladder issues.I

also have syringomyelia/syrnix which I didn't notice is u have but

this

alone is chronic pain for the res of your life i have been told-also

I

don't understand the doctor who would perform such a surg on u with

these nerve rooots u talk about this is so very serious-has no one

ever

told u that u have arachnoitis???this too i have and this is horrid

pain and no cure...of course and caused by as I have been told by my

NS

the surg itself yeah gt that one-or I think in my case my diagnois

not

theirs that my leak was just left unattended too long before

something

was done to repair it!! But in any case this sound all to familar to

what u say about yourself.There is plenty of reading on this

arachnoitis on the internet and believe it or not most of it is done

by

doctors themselves!I have a NS that does not want to reenter my

spinal

cord until it is absolutely necessary.So far my syrnix is not

blocking

my flow,but that has nothing he says about the chronic pain-I just

asked him about why after all this time WHY can't I make it without

pain meds and he says it is a horrid disease on top of the other

complied.I feel for you and just had to respond I am no way a doctor

u

asked for advice and this is just something u may want to thnk

about.I

wish u all the best my frnd,I am always here to talk.I got left

alone

by hubby not long after my tc surg.I really do cope and do better now

he didn't give me a chance to work thru all this.U know this is alot

for one to handle when u first find out-I had no ideal what

tc,syringomyelia,arachnoitis,chiari and such was either u know and it

was my body.Y I went thru quite a depression alone the way but u know

what I made it!!We all can with the help of others like on this group-

many have helped me and don't even know it,I don't post alot but I do

read and so many have helped me and been my frnd thru a many of

lonely

dys and nites.I hope u look this up and I hope u find your answer

and

I am here if u need.Good Luck, never ever give up!!

>

[Guest guest]

Amy,

I am SO VERY sorry to hear all that you have been through and are dealing

with as a result. I certainly wasn't expecting hydrosyringomyelia as a

result of my second surgery (and it wasn't " stated " as a possible risk).

Which I led to my third surgery that left me a T12 paraplegic. Bummer,

isn't it all. But we have to go on and make the best of it. I know what its

like to hear a description like that. When I had my second surgery for my

retether and remove the dural graft, the surgeon said it looked like someone

poured super glue in my back and it also took twice as long. I lost some

function in my left leg, but was able to get it back. Then I developed the

hydrosyringomyelia. Although I didn't have a case against the second

surgeon, my case would have been against the first (he never told me that

retethering was even a possibility) -- but the statue of limitations on

medical stuff is only 2 years. A joke! While I agree on caps for medical

lawsuits, the statue of limitations needs to be changed. It takes so long

to be diagnosed properly with stuff. Think about all those people who had

medical instruments and sponges and stuff left in them that took years and

years to finally find. The statute of limitations was up. I completely

sympathize.

Where the docs get you is that on your release you signed, you knew the

possible risks of surgery were - infection (generally localized up to and

including meningitis), CSF leak, neurological damage (generally up to and

including paralysis) and death. Infection and death are listed on any

surgery. Death on any surgery requiring general anesthesia b/c any person

can have an unforseen problem with it.

I think where your greatest asset will come from is finding a talented

lawyer in medical malpractice who has a really good medical RN, NP or PA on

staff that reviews the medical records and your surgical notes (especially

your surgical notes!). A stitch in your spinal cord is not a forseen risk

of TSC surgery -- it is malpractice! And that is what your lawyer will have

to prove. And your MD will just try and prove that it was basically a human

error and you knew the risks of surgery. But this was not a forseen risk of

surgery b/c this was not something that should have happened in surgery.

The things you sign in the informed consent document are things you are

saying you understand the risk of given that your doctor fulfills his side

of the bargain and does the surgery as he/she was supposed to. And your

surgeon did not. Every surgery in the US has detailed surgical notes taken

by a RN. Every little bump, dropped tool, sponge in and out of you, every

burp and fart by the doc (just kidding), and when the person sews you up

(often the resident if you had this done at a teaching hospital) each stitch

is counted and placement noted in the surgical notes. Since surgeries are

not videoed and its not like an MRI or CT where there is a film that another

MD can look at to know what another MD did, this is the only record. This

is where much of your evidence will come from. Lawyers that do anything

medical have a paramedic, LPN, RN, PA, or NP on staff that reviews medical

records. You want to find a lawyer that specializes in medical malpractice

(and not TV lawyer - bring your case to me). I think the lawyer with the

best person on staff to review medical records will be the best. Granted

they have to argue the case (doubtful it would go to trial, b/c this is

pretty obvious), but you need the person who can really dig and abstract

those medical records.

I have two thoughts about your children. My initial thought was to have

both children checked by MRI before approaching the lawyer. After thinking

about it, I would approach the lawyer, and see what he/she says. Especially

if you don't have the $ to get them scanned. Oftentimes, if they feel you

have a strong case, they will give you an advance to get the scans done

(just make sure that the advance is not one that you have to repay if you

don't get a settlement). Although I am confident that you will get a

settlement without a trial or much of a fight from the MDs insurance co with

a good lawyer. If your lawyer isn't aware of such things, there are e-juries

they can use to get an idea of what a jury would say you would get if the

case did go to trial. They can use this as a tool to present to your MDs

insurance company (particularly if they find for a big settlement in your

favor). This can encourage your MDs insurance company to settle and not take

the case to trial.

Hope this answers a few of your questions. If you have any others feel free

to ask. I wish you the best.

Jenn

> I don't post very often but I really need some advice. I had my first

> TSC release in Louisville,KY in July 2006. A few days later I had a CSF leak

> repair. I continued to get more symptoms and more sick every day. The NS

> said " the surgery was just harder on adults than kids and go to pain

> management. I saw several doctors in town and they all assumed my NS had

> done everything that needed to be done. He has a very good reputation. So I

> couldn't even get a post op MRI. I knew there was something wrong. I did not

> go to pain management. Oct. 2007 I went to TCI. They did a total mri and

> some other test. They found a severe CSF leak and a stitch from the previous

> surgery that went through my spinal cord nerve roots and attached them to my

> dura and scare tissue had formed all over the roots. When they did the

> surgery to repair this they said it was like trying to separate over cooked

> spaghetti without breaking a noodle. It took the docs twice as long as they

> had expected. I have

> damage to my left leg, kidney, bowels, and bladder. No one knows how

> permanent this is. I am considering a lawsuit. Has anyone been told that a

> stitch in your spinal cord is a risk of the surgery? The attorney I talked

> to said a NS would have to say it should not have been a risk for this to be

> a case. And where I live all the NS will cover for each other. Not only has

> this effected my health, it has effected my finances (travel and out of

> network expenses). I desperately need this question answered!!!!!

>

> Both of my children had tsc release right after I did in 2006 by the same

> doc in Louisville. They are also having some problems and all he did was

> order PT. I am taking them to TCI at the end of Jan.

>

> Amy L.

> " You must be the change you wish to see in the world " ~Gandhi

>

> ---------------------------------

> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it

> now.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone that has responded.

Does anyone know of a good malpractice attorney in Kentucky?

I am going back to TCI Jan 28-30. Will anyone else be there?

Is there a support group in southern Indiana or Kentucky?

Amy L.

" You must be the change you wish to see in the world " ~Gandhi

---------------------------------

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.