Saturday, April 21, 2012

Maybe He Sees Something!

Last night I received an email from the surgeon in San Diego.  I've been waiting on pins and needles for the past month.  Here is part of what he had to say:


I believe that there may possibly be residual adrenal tissue on the left side in the area of the prior adrenalectomy...


The tissue demonstrating increased enhancement on the scan ends just next to the metal clips placed on the adrenal vein at the time of the surgery..
.
...this is a subtle finding...

I cannot guarantee that this is, in fact adrenal tissue and not nerve or lymph node tissue.


He has asked permission to discuss the scan with his  Interventional Radiology docs, who would actually be doing the procedure if (it's a big if) they agree with his findings. 


As far as anyone knows this ablation procedure to "destroy" adrenal rest tissue has only been done once. It was done by these docs in San Diego and it was a success. We are more than willing to give it a shot and hope for the best.  


For now, more waiting...but I'm hopeful again. If the IR docs give us an okay and insurance will authorize it we are ready to get on the next plane out.
 

3 comments:

  1. Rene, if it is a procedure that has only been done once, I would think that the Interventional Radiology Team would be so anxious for the experience that they would be willing to perform the procedure at the cost to the hospital, especially if it is a teaching university hospital.
    Good Luck!
    love, steve & susie

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  2. It's not a teaching hospital; it's Scripps in La Jolla. I had hoped UCSF would be interested but we can't "get past" their endocrine department. The endocrine surgeon said *he* doesn't see a target so he won't pass the case on to IR.

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  3. I pray that this is the answer Rene!!

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