al & jane
06-20-2013, 10:25 AM
Alternative to colon surgery: What your gastroenterologist probably will not tell you.
First, a disclaimer. Although I spent the majority of my working life in health care, I am not a M.D., RN or other clinician so all of this information is from the perspective of a patient who always extensively researches every option.
The vast majority of us are over age 50 which means we should have a colonoscopy from time to time and the procedure is invaluable to saving lives and catching colon cancer, either as polyps form or as they progress into the early stages of cancer.
Last fall I had my first ever colonoscopy here in The Villages, performed by nationally-ranked and highly qualified Gastroenterologist who was very professional and thorough. He removed some polyps during the procedure but afterwards he informed me both verbally and in writing that I had to have colon surgery to remove a flat lesion as well as a polyp which was too large to remove endoscopically. I asked if there were any options other than surgery and was told that there were none. It appeared that the only choice I had was to be admitted to a hospital and have either open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, either of which are invasive procedures requiring several days’ recovery in the hospital and many weeks of down time at home. Never one to enjoy being cut on or to accept much at face value I began doing research on the subject of colon resections. After countless days and hours online, I discovered 3 Gastroenterologists at The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville who are trained in a highly specialized technique called Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR). There are many others in the U.S. who also perform the EMR but Mayo was the closest to us.
My visit to the Mayo Clinic in January was like a stay at a Ritz Carlton. The staff was great in every way; courteous, helpful, efficient, on time, and very caring. Most importantly, the EMR was performed in 45 minutes, successfully removing both problems endoscopically (no surgery); I spent 45 minutes in recovery to let the anesthesia wear off. Afterwards I walked out of the hospital and my wife drove me home. I took one day off normal activities but 2 days later I was swimming, running and cycling. I had my follow-up colonoscopy yesterday and everything was great.
My brother-in-law had the exact same diagnosis earlier this year and surgery was recommended but after letting him know about EMR he had it done this week. The next day he was out mowing and edging his yard.
Nationally, it seems, Gastroenterologists don’t seem to want to tell you about this procedure but I am hoping that some of you or your friends who may end up with this diagnosis can take advantage of the latest technology and avoid the risk, pain and recovery time involved with surgery.
For more information: http://www.worldendo.org/assets/downloads/pdf/publications/how_i_doit/2007/omed_hid_removing_large_or_sessile_colonic_polyps. pdf
First, a disclaimer. Although I spent the majority of my working life in health care, I am not a M.D., RN or other clinician so all of this information is from the perspective of a patient who always extensively researches every option.
The vast majority of us are over age 50 which means we should have a colonoscopy from time to time and the procedure is invaluable to saving lives and catching colon cancer, either as polyps form or as they progress into the early stages of cancer.
Last fall I had my first ever colonoscopy here in The Villages, performed by nationally-ranked and highly qualified Gastroenterologist who was very professional and thorough. He removed some polyps during the procedure but afterwards he informed me both verbally and in writing that I had to have colon surgery to remove a flat lesion as well as a polyp which was too large to remove endoscopically. I asked if there were any options other than surgery and was told that there were none. It appeared that the only choice I had was to be admitted to a hospital and have either open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, either of which are invasive procedures requiring several days’ recovery in the hospital and many weeks of down time at home. Never one to enjoy being cut on or to accept much at face value I began doing research on the subject of colon resections. After countless days and hours online, I discovered 3 Gastroenterologists at The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville who are trained in a highly specialized technique called Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR). There are many others in the U.S. who also perform the EMR but Mayo was the closest to us.
My visit to the Mayo Clinic in January was like a stay at a Ritz Carlton. The staff was great in every way; courteous, helpful, efficient, on time, and very caring. Most importantly, the EMR was performed in 45 minutes, successfully removing both problems endoscopically (no surgery); I spent 45 minutes in recovery to let the anesthesia wear off. Afterwards I walked out of the hospital and my wife drove me home. I took one day off normal activities but 2 days later I was swimming, running and cycling. I had my follow-up colonoscopy yesterday and everything was great.
My brother-in-law had the exact same diagnosis earlier this year and surgery was recommended but after letting him know about EMR he had it done this week. The next day he was out mowing and edging his yard.
Nationally, it seems, Gastroenterologists don’t seem to want to tell you about this procedure but I am hoping that some of you or your friends who may end up with this diagnosis can take advantage of the latest technology and avoid the risk, pain and recovery time involved with surgery.
For more information: http://www.worldendo.org/assets/downloads/pdf/publications/how_i_doit/2007/omed_hid_removing_large_or_sessile_colonic_polyps. pdf