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LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
In Matters of Health, They Won’t Settle for Second Best
By Patrice Dickey Attorney Caryl Cohen was raised in a medical family and is married to infectious disease specialist Howard J. Cohen, MD. Her father Walter Wildstein, MD is a retired general surgeon and her mother Dr. Arlene Wildstein is a clinical psychologist. Their breadth of knowledge and connections within the medical community taught Caryl and Arlene that sometimes the doctor actually doesn’t know best. Caryl’s Quest A busy, active mother of three sons, 48-year-old Caryl discovered a huge lump in her lower abdomen a few years ago. Her longtime gynecologist confirmed that it was a fibroid tumor the size of a five-month pregnancy and told her she’d need a hysterectomy. He also told her the size of the fibroid dictated an open abdominal surgery. “I was extremely upset with this news,” said Caryl. “The idea of being out of commission for four to six weeks was out of the question. When could I possibly fit this in?” Although the term ‘bikini incision’ related to open surgery sounds relatively benign, the old-style open procedure involves cutting through muscle and nerves and prying back the abdominal muscles to visualize the area. It can cause painful nerve damage that takes months to heal. “My doctor led me to believe it was too big to remove any other way,” said Caryl. Luckily, her network of friends included surgical nurse Wendy Winer, who told her that her associate Dr. Tom Lyons of the Center for Women’s Care & Reproductive Surgery routinely performed Laparoscopic Supracervical Hysterectomy (LSH) and myomectomy (removal of the fibroid only) on extremely large fibroids. In fact, he invented the LSH procedure in 1990 and has performed hundreds of them successfully. “I cannot tell you the relief I felt—that I could have this taken care of in a brief time with a quick recovery. The pity is that so many women are in this situation and don’t realize they have a minimally invasive option!” she exclaimed. Importantly, LSH leaves the cervix intact as a keystone support to the female anatomy, which improves sexual function post-surgery and helps prevent pelvic prolapse later. Caryl had to go out of network but stated, “Insurance was not an issue because I knew I wanted the best treatment. I’m accustomed to top medical care and I wouldn’t settle for less. It’s a question of values, and I’m worth it.” Within a week after the procedure Caryl was back riding bikes with her sons, and feeling incredible gratitude for Dr. Lyons, surgical assistant Wendy Winer, RN, CNOR, and staff. The LSH procedure has been practiced since 1990, and Dr. Lyons has trained hundreds of surgeons around the world on the technique. However, everyone is not capable of performing it. Some surgeons refuse to do laparoscopic procedures on a large uterus. The size of the problem is not an issue for Dr. Lyons. “It’s especially important that patients choose a surgeon who is experienced in working with lasers and laparoscopy. LSH requires more skill than open abdominal hysterectomy. LSH is easier on the patient, but more challenging for the surgeon,” explained Dr. Lyons. The Mother’s Experience Dr. Arlene Wildstein like her daughter is a highly intelligent, no-nonsense woman. Over approximately three years of worsening urinary incontinence, she was told by a series of GYNs that there was nothing wrong. While working with a trainer before knee surgery, she experienced bladder prolapse. A local female urologist told her that in Atlanta, the only way to fix this problem was through abdominal surgery. “I knew her information was totally erroneous,” she said. Talking with Caryl about Dr. Lyons, she also scheduled an appointment. Her laparoscopic Burch procedure (also developed by Dr. Lyons) and pelvic floor repair occurred in February 2004, a few months before Caryl’s LSH. “Piece of cake! Unbelievable!” she described it. “I got up with no pain and wanted to go home. I never took a painkiller; I needed no nursing care.” She advises others not to believe everything they hear on their first or even second medical opinion. “People don’t do enough investigation. They need to be their own advocates to get beyond the misinformation,” she said. One thing to be aware of: many surgeons will attempt a laparoscopic procedure and feel it necessary to convert to an open surgery with a long incision during the procedure. Make sure to ask your surgeon about his or her conversion ratio. Dr. Lyons’ conversion ratio is less than one percent.
Center for Women's Care &
Reproductive Surgery© 2006 |
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