Guest guest Posted September 1, 2003 Report Share Posted September 1, 2003 Hi. Hope everyone is enjoying the Labour Day weekend. Just read Carla's post on some of the response to the 20/20 show. I have already sent a coment, asking for a follow up show on alternative treatments. It seems the real issue is why the medical profession is continuing to perform major, invasive surgery that can have severe medical and psychological impacts on women, when there are safe, proven, less invasive alternative treatments. It would be interesting to know if there are any other areas of practice where doctors have continued to advocate major, invasive surgeries where more modern and progressive treatments are available for those conditions. I would guess that in most if not all cases, where proven medical progress has been made in the treatment of other conditions, medical professionals would be expected to be aware of and to recommend the most progressive treatments available. In jurisdictions where medical care is a matter of public expense such as Canada, alternative treatment options such as UFE (which has been available here since 1998 when a major clinical trial began) can be done at far less expense to the health care system. One would think this would be a significant factor in recommending treatment, given the severe financial strain our health care system is under. Yet even here, at least when I was seeking treatment about three years ago, the gyn I consulted recommended a " simple hysterectomy " , while dismissing UFE as " experimental " . This recommendation was endorsed by the young female GP I was attending at the time. If I had not been aware of the option of UFE from my own research and from Carla's mailing list I would have continued to endure extreme fibroid symptoms or in desperation might have submitted to surgery I did not want, not knowing there was even at that time a safe and effective alternative. Women are entitled to know that there are options to hysterectomy. I can imagine that some women who have had the surgery and have not experienced a lot of negative impacts, may resent the implication that these impacts will always occur and perhaps as Carla says, no one wants to think that they have made a bad choice as a medical consumer. However the letter from Kathy- the lady who apparently moderates the Hystersisters list - was good in that she says even though she has had a hysterectomy, she does not want to see her daughter's generation having no other options. Although shows like 20/20 may result in women with hysterectomies feeling sensitive and less certain about their choice, unless the impacts and potential impacts of the surgery are exposed, and the alternatives to the surgery made known, women will continue to be at risk for this unnecessary and potentially harmful surgery. It would be interesting if the next 20/20 program or other investigative media programs could determine if women are still being steered to hysterectomy for fibroids by gyns without being fully informed of alternative treatments., despite the proven alternative treatments. Carla noted in her post that following 20/20 many women cancelled scheduled hysterectomies in order to find more information about alternatives. Obviously information is the key - it is amazing how much more info is out there now than there was 3 years ago when I first started researching the area for my own condition. Hopefully, soon, there will be enough information in the consumer marketplace that women will have enough knowledge to challenge and resist recommendations for unnecessary hysterectomies and doctors will have to respect and accomodate their " informed consumers. " Regards, Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2003 Report Share Posted September 1, 2003 I just feel that we are pioneers...slightly preceding ahead of things because of our extreme needs. Our needs will drive medicine to adapt and learn different methods. Most med school are populated by older men who learned from older men who... Most of them prob don't teach these new methods because the teachers themselves were not taught them and the methods are newly evolving and changing as we speak... Old habits die hard. Western medical students are not taught much nutrition or the deeper mind/body connection in relation to disease, and so treat the symptoms and not the preceding conditions leading up to disease....and when they do it is not a holistic appoach. That is beginning to change. Dr. Weil for instance, has been active in integrating these concepts into the Arizona med school in part. My own doc was the first holistic doc in that specialty in the u.s. He does both. He first will attempt to restore the balance employing the body through change of habits to heal itself, but if your are too far out of balance he treats in the western fashion. gg Jill McWhinnie wrote: >Hi. Hope everyone is enjoying the Labour Day weekend. > >Just read Carla's post on some of the response to the 20/20 show. I have >already sent a coment, asking for a follow up show on alternative >treatments. > >It seems the real issue is why the medical profession is continuing to >perform major, invasive surgery that can have severe medical and >psychological impacts on women, when there are safe, proven, less invasive >alternative treatments. It would be interesting to know if there are any >other areas of practice where doctors have continued to advocate major, >invasive surgeries where more modern and progressive treatments are >available for those conditions. I would guess that in most if not all cases, >where proven medical progress has been made in the treatment of other >conditions, medical professionals would be expected to be aware of and to >recommend the most progressive treatments available. > >In jurisdictions where medical care is a matter of public expense such as >Canada, alternative treatment options such as UFE (which has been available >here since 1998 when a major clinical trial began) can be done at far less >expense to the health care system. One would think this would be a >significant factor in recommending treatment, given the severe financial >strain our health care system is under. Yet even here, at least when I was >seeking treatment about three years ago, the gyn I consulted recommended a > " simple hysterectomy " , while dismissing UFE as " experimental " . This >recommendation was endorsed by the young female GP I was attending at the >time. If I had not been aware of the option of UFE from my own research and >from Carla's mailing list I would have continued to endure extreme fibroid >symptoms or in desperation might have submitted to surgery I did not want, >not knowing there was even at that time a safe and effective alternative. > >Women are entitled to know that there are options to hysterectomy. I can >imagine that some women who have had the surgery and have not experienced a >lot of negative impacts, may resent the implication that these impacts will >always occur and perhaps as Carla says, no one wants to think that they have >made a bad choice as a medical consumer. However the letter from Kathy- the >lady who apparently moderates the Hystersisters list - was good in that she >says even though she has had a hysterectomy, she does not want to see her >daughter's generation having no other options. Although shows like 20/20 >may result in women with hysterectomies feeling sensitive and less certain >about their choice, unless the impacts and potential impacts of the surgery >are exposed, and the alternatives to the surgery made known, women will >continue to be at risk for this unnecessary and potentially harmful surgery. > >It would be interesting if the next 20/20 program or other investigative >media programs could determine if women are still being steered to >hysterectomy for fibroids by gyns without being fully informed of >alternative treatments., despite the proven alternative treatments. Carla >noted in her post that following 20/20 many women cancelled scheduled >hysterectomies in order to find more information about alternatives. >Obviously information is the key - it is amazing how much more info is out >there now than there was 3 years ago when I first started researching the >area for my own condition. Hopefully, soon, there will be enough information >in the consumer marketplace that women will have enough knowledge to >challenge and resist recommendations for unnecessary hysterectomies and >doctors will have to respect and accomodate their " informed consumers. " > >Regards, > >Jill > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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