Statistics

January 17, 2003

<< Is it possible to obtain any kind of statistics on Chiari surgeries

done at the NY center? Number of operations performed? Number of

patients requiring a second surgery/revision/shunt at the center?

Number of so-called successes/no further surgery needed? >>

Folks I wrote Mark with a longer reply I'd be glad to forward ...but bottom

line the NEW Chiari Instute itself is really NEW and it's imposible to

provide much of what he is asking from the INSTUTUE cause it hasn't exisited

long enough for ANY long term studies to have been completed at all yet

....its been there about a year ( and seeing patients less than that if my

memory of when they moved is right ) .

If you'd like some info /stats on patients treated by Dr Milhorat /Bolognese

the chiari 1 redefined study linked at wacma has SOME of that info BUT is

missing charts /graphs and other content that was published as PART of the

article too ...so do get a FULL copy through your library interlibrary loan

service /or through a local medical library found through university medical

/teaching hospitals ect . Most allow us as the public to use the library for

photocoping ect .

Using the asap site to look at studies in abstract form ...or pubmed to

search for articles a given doctor or center has published is a good way to

seek these sort of stats ...but for the FULL story of a given physican's

research /and beliefs in how to optmise surgery approaches ect the ASAP

physicans lectures given at the anual confrence are a MUCH more complete

opertunity to learn about that doctors work .

ANY of the tapes on a given topic contain MUCH more info and detail that you

can gleen from the web /or from reading a given doctors studies . These tapes

are the BEST source of accurate info - then are from the doctor dirrectly and

contain the immages used in presenting the lecture such as MRI's /graphs and

charts ect too . I copy the tapes when I have them for use sharing with my

local physicans .

They can be invaluable in helping to decide what you feel is BEST FOR YOU

....from chosing a physican to helping educate yourself so you'll KNOW when a

doctor is outdated and providing info they perhaps learned in a 30 min .

lecture 10 years back before more recent understanding through studies was

gained ...tehehe . Most medical schools DON " T include chiari much if at all

in their ciriculum / and even neurologists arn't expected to be able to

DIAGNOSE chiari and the underlying problems that CAUSED one to develope

....it's the rehlm of neuroSURGEONS or neuroRADILOGISTS /they " OWN " the

responability NOT neurologists .

Neurologists are expected to help with SYMPTOMS mannagement through therapies

but NOT to understand the complexity of making the diagnosis /determining the

severity or need for surgery ect . PLEASE don't feel frustrated with other

specialist and DO understand you need careful accessment by someone CURRENT

in chiari understanding . You can help yourself by getting fully current

through the ASAP tapes /then it will be much easier to sort through the

issues of finding a neurosurgeon who KNOWS current understanding ...MUCH

changed in the last few years and most neurosurgeon who see a few chiari

patients a year ARN " T that current . They must spend their spare time

learning about changes in more COMMON ailments they treat most often .

Seeing a full blown chiari specialist when possible is apt to be your best

route to good understanding . You can then compare their findings /with a

neurosurgeon closer to your home if need be ...but your much more apt to get

good care and results from interventions tried if you've been able to get

that chiari specialist consultion ...it's worth its weight in gold to go do

so in my opinion !!

in Paradise

January 17, 2003