This most likely be like trying to beat a "Dead Horse", but here goes. It is also likely that it will long, so grab a chair and have a seat.
I said
Our son just had surgery for a chest deformity that was putting pressure on his heart. After all tests his condition was considered severe.
EC assumed
You are totally overlooking the obvious and the necessary, that the open procedure was too invasive and your son may have had a better looking chest but more likely than not would have failed to recover from the surgery (died).
Just so we understand eachother, his
condition was referring to his Pectus Excavatum. His heart function was normal and not compromised. This was not a life,or death situation.
I said
I have done research on the "open procedure" and in no way would that surgery have put my son in more danger than the surgery performed.
EC assumed
You are not a surgeon or a pediatrician, so you are not qualified to decide via searching the web which surgery is medically indicated or medically appropriate.
I only asked if we should have been given the information of both procedures and since we weren't I had to look this information up for myself.
I said
I think you are just looking for an argument. This site is for free legal advice, which you are NOT an attorney. I think you need to find something better to do with your time, then to lash out at someone because she has concerns about her childs emotional state which stems from a surgery that could have had a better outcome. Dr.s words, not mine.
EC responded with
I'd really like to take this opportunity and tell you what I think of you. Unfortunately, I will have to refrain. Be assured, I don't have a nice or kind thought or word about you or your stupid wish-it-were-a-problem problem
So who started throwing around unecessary remarks????
I said
Once again, Do you have any experience with Pectus Excavatum or it's related health problems
EC responded
The open surgery requires several additional hours of anesthesia; and, in a patient with compromised pulmonary function and cardiac function (even slight compression of the heart is compromising), the less time in the OR and receiving anesthesia, the better the outcome.
The best results for this surgery occur when the surgery is done on a young child, at least two-years old but not much older. It only makes sense that once the ribcage has been malformed for 13 years, it will be more difficult to symetrically shape through surgery.
Which I responded, proving that EC is ignorant as far as Pectus Excavatum is concerned
I have taken the liberty to post information from a UCLA Surgeon and also included his link in case you would like to further educate yourself pertaining to PE deformities and it's correction
http://www.surgery.medsch.ucla.edu/asp/Clinical.asp?Clinical_Service=Pectus Excavatum, Pectus Carinatum and Pectus
EC responded
She could not have exerted patients' rights to force any competent surgeon to perform an open, 4-5 hour, high-risks surgery (intraoperatively and postoperatively) rather than a surgery of half the time and risks (intraoperatively and postoperatively). FYI--according to every documentation/resource that I found, the open surgery is not the surgery of choice and is highly touted as being out-dated and too high-risks.
Now for my response to EC's last post. Obviously you do not have one clue as to either procedure used to treat Pectus Excavatum.
My sons PE was asyemmtrical, classified as a severe wide valley on the right side with Pectus Carnitum on the left, so he had a combination of PE and PC.
The most common indication for operative repair of pectus excavatum is to achieve anatomical correction of this congenital chest wall deformity. This is particularly important in young teenagers where the appearance of the chest can result in significant problems related to body image and self-esteem. Thus, achieving an ideal cosmetic repair of the chest is considered an appropriate medical indication for surgery. Images 1-3 illustrate the dramatic appearance of pectus excavatum in young male and female patients.
Open Procedure:
Surgical Care: The operative treatment of pectus excavatum has been fairly well standardized since Ravitch's publication in 1949 of the open technique for correction of this deformity. Few variations to his original description have been added,
and the operation became almost universally accepted by pediatric surgeons as the criterion standard for treatment of this condition.
So can you blame me from thinking the Dr. knew the other procedure would have been better for my son, but didn't have the experience with that procedure and instead of sending us to someone who did, he performed the less of the two. Sorry but too me, that is a great possibility and until I have exhausted all avenues, I will not stop till I know if my son received the best of care. I don't feel just because you hold a degree, you have the right to perform what may not of been in the best interest of the patient because that is the only way you know how. If, and I say if, that is the case, then I think he should be liable.
Ok, I'm done, I apologize for the length of this post to all that got caught up in the middle of it.
EC, you have the right to post your opinions, but you might want to think about learning a more tactful way of doing it. I found your posts offensive, rude and you act like I was acusing you of wrong doing. I understand you are in the medical profession, but you also have to be aware that Dr.s do make mistakes, just like anyone else.
EC, everytime you open your mouth, I mean start posting, you prove my point. I think most people here are intelligent adults. This woman anyway, is looking for advice about her situation. She never said most of the things you assume. Have you noticed most responses to you are very defensive? That should be an indication that you are very offensive. You assume she wants you to say what she wants to hear. Why? Have you ever wondered why there is a common list of insults towards you? Maybe you should. Supmom, Good job.