Connect
← Return to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair by EVAR
Discussion
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm repair by EVAR
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Mar 16, 2023 | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
Doctors look at the patient as a faulty machine, not a human. They must put all feeling aside, else they would become suicidal.
For us, the patient, this give us reason to worry even more, when it's obvious that some doctors downplay our current serious concern, while other doctor want 'emergency surgery'.
I strongly trust my own gut feeling and intuition, and when a doctor don't actually listen - I find another hospital immediately.
I don't ask for a second appoinment with the same doctor, when I feel he ignore me, don't listen.
All aneurysm grow in size, but how fast vary from 0,5 cm to 2 cm, yearly.
If any surgery is paid by your insurance and not yourself, this Might be the problem. Maybe aneurysm Must Be 5 cm (classified as large and dangerous) in size before insurance company will pre authorize surgery??
If I was in your shoes, I would Not show any previous tests to a new hospital, (to avoid doctor label one as a hypochonder patient).
I would start fresh and not say 1 word about what you done already the last months, doctor, test etc.
Mention any family history of aneurysm, discomfort, pain and changes to your body. Then ask if a CT-Scan with contrast, or any other test can be done asap.
In my case my pulse was visible on my stomach when lay down.
Talk with family and friends, get their opinion as well. Sometimes bringing a friend to consultation can be a big help, doctor seems to listen more.
Replies to "Doctors look at the patient as a faulty machine, not a human. They must put all..."
Connect
Hi expat69
My surgeon has lost credibility with me.
I went to the hospital for a very painful abdomen. It was pulsing at intermittent times. Long story short I will only try to stick to the relevant issue.
The hospital did a work up and the ER doctor said my CT scan showed a torn celiac aneurysm. ( no bleeding mentioned) and said that she will have their surgeon look at the CT scan film.
She comes back about an hour later and says “ we have to send you to another hospital for emergency surgery. “ I said ok and an ambulance that looked like an ER on wheels transferred me to a trauma hospital.
Once I got there and waited five hours to be seen as it was packed with drug addicts, drunks, and people with the sniffles. I was whisked into an examination room and a cardiovascular surgeon asked me questions after which he determined that since it isn’t bleeding (yet) I could be discharged with the promise that I see my own cardiovascular surgeon ASAP. He was only going by what the first hospital gave him. He didn’t do his own CT scan or any other tests.
I get discharged and as soon as the ambulance took me home I had the nurse ( I live in an assisted living facility) call my own surgeon.
His answer was “all hospitals say ASAP “ I will see him at an upcoming March appointment “ 2 months away!
The nurses got together and the one that called him this time demanded that he see me ASAP. He caved but seemed annoyed at having to see me ASAP. So I went to see him in 3 days.
They did a sonogram and he said it hasn’t changed since last year and “don’t worry about it, I will see you in a year! “What about the tear?”
I asked him if it could get larger or more torn in the near future.
He said that it could bleed (I’m on Coumadin due to a previous aortic valve replacement) I’m prone to A-FIB as well and have high blood pressure and diabetes type II. He blew me off and said “I’ll see you in a year!”
What to do?