Clarification of Surgeries in Germany Part 1
From: Bev (bnb@new.rr.com)
Sat Mar 29 15:47:29 2003
Dear Adhesion Sufferers;
There appears to be a misconception as to how and why the trips to
Germany for adhesiolysis procedures got started and evolved as they have
here on this board.
A few of us who have been with the IAS since it’s inception know these
reasons and they were not at all due to lack of unskilled surgeons here
in the USA or German surgeons being better then USA surgeons! The last
thing I want portrayed on this board is that there are “No high quality
skilled surgeons in the USA” who can perform a quality adhesiolysis
procedure as there most certainly are! Though few and far between in MY
OPINION, but that is my point, the surgeon’s people are utilizing in
Germany offer the highest quality adhesiolysis procedure available in
the world today, again, in MY OPINION! Why is it that MY OPINION makes
any difference in these issues? Well, it is because I played a great
part in paving the way for all others to secure adhesiolysis procedures
in Germany! That simple.
For almost one year I had been assisting a female victim of ARD from
Canada, and was unable to secure any effective medical intervention for
her in all of her country, for various reasons, one of them being that
we could not secure the services of a surgeon anywhere in the whole of
Canada who would agree to do an adhesiolysis on this lady due to her
presenting physical condition after many prior obdominal/pelvic
surgeries! Not even the TOP surgeons in Canada would agree to perform an
adhesiolysis on her. Mary Pomroy had not been able to lay flat in her
back for over 12 years due to her colon & stomach being attached to her
diaghram! She could not take a deep breath, nor sit straight, and I
won’t take time to go into her extenuating ARD symptoms as a result of
attachments such as hers, as they were many and life threatening. Though
Dr. Reich and Dr. Redan offered to see her as a patient here in the
states, I could not get Mary in for the medical/surgical intervention as
the Canadian medical care system simply refused to offer coverage for
her stating that the medical expenses here in the USA was to high for
the Canadian government to pay based on the currency exchange rates of
the two country’s! Mary was dying, and there seemed to be little to
nothing that I could do for her but not willing to give up, my search
continued, though I will admit to feeling a bit of hopelessness, but
nothing compared to what Mary was feeling!
Then the “post heard around the world” appeared here in the IAS message
board! (Mary could probably tell you the date that post appeared, or
Helen Dynda could, but I cannot remember at this time, non the less, it
changed Mary’s life and all the lives of those who have gone to Germany
since that posting! This I do know!)
This post was from a Joann Buttman who had gone to Germany for an
adhesiolysis procedure, and my curiosity was peeked! I asked her
questions, secured the answers and explanations regarding the
adhesiolysis procedure itself and all associated medical/surgical
intervention offered in Germany, I was very interested.
I recognized that if these interventions were expounded on, they could
very well offer the victims of ARD one of the highest quality
adhesiolysis procedures offered in the world at that time and once I
started to work on this process, it only got better over time, in MY
OPINION!
I had several discussions with Dr. Korell, asked many questions as did
Mary, and he always and graciously answered very defined as well as
offered his adhesiolysis procedure in writing. The ONLY surgeon here in
the USA to offer his adhesiolysis procedure in writing was and remains
Dr. Harry Reich. If you think I am wrong on this issue, simply ask
your surgeon to do that for you. (I rest my case on this issue.) Dr.
Korell was willing to discuss the many other issues involved bringing
the International Patient to him for an adhesiolysis procedure. He was
not only educated in ARD, but had performed many adhesiolysis via
endoscopic procedure, he was willing to and approved to use an adhesion
barrier should he so elect, and as part of his procedure, he included a
SECOND LOOK follow-up laporoscopic procedure as a visual of the initial
surgical outcome and to lyse any reformed or denovo adhesions while they
were still soft in hopes that there would be less tissue destruction if
lysed soon after formation. Everything answer to our questions sounded
VERY plausible to both Mary and me, given our common medical
backgrounds, so with Mary agreeing, we headed off to Germany TOGETHER.
Though her government still refused to offer any type of coverage for
this trip, the US dollar far outweighed the Germany mark at that time
and we were able to come up with enough money between the two of our
family’s for Mary to have her adhesiolysis, and for me escort her as
well as to study everything from the time we left the USA and returned
to it! The only time I was not witness to what Mary was being exposed
too in Germany was while she was in the operating room, but I walked her
to that room and when she came back out and into recovery, I stood
waiting to attend to her needs in there, as well as ever other place and
with all interventions she would encounter on this trip.
Once I was comfortable with all the medical intervention for ARD issues
that I saw and experienced not only through my eyes as a victim of
adhesions, but as well as studying it on the part of an ARD surgical
patient, I started to develop the protocol that would be used time and
again to bring the International ARD Patient to a facility and surgeon
who, in my opinion, offered them a real chance of getting as well as
they would get in an adhesiolysis procedure in the world!!
I then meet with hospital personnel as well as assisted in securing
accommodations for the International Patient while they and an escort
had to be in Germany. I secured surgery rates, developed a protocol for
pre diagnostic tests needed for surgery, set up and secured everything
from translators to be available at all times to be with those who did
not speak German, patient advocates who assisted the patients with
everything from shopping for them, to taking them shopping, changing
money if necessary, and I even set up tourism arranged through the
hospital for the patient and escorts, complete with translators!!
Patients would also be picked up and returned to the airport at no extra
costs to them.
I then secured all the necessary arrangements for as comfortable a
flight as possible from any country to and from this German facility.
These issues involved having the proper letters from the surgeon for the
patient to give the concierge of a flight indicting their special needs
as a post surgical patient. I communicated with government officials
from other countries as well as the USA to secure information on many
issues surrounding International travel for medical care. All this
information was then offered via postings and sharing on the IAS message
board not via the IAS itself.
One of the saddest events in my life, both as a victim of ARD and in
assisting other victims of ARD, resulted in the next door being opened
for us to secure a high quality adhesiolysis in Germany!
Ironically, it took one life to save so many others and yet today I
haven’t found any words to describe this happening as it hurts to deeply
for me to reflect on it for to long.
The day Karla, the two Debbie’s and myself, all members of the Bay Area
Adhesion Society, attended the funeral of one of our members I received
an email from Dr. Reich asking me to extend his condolences to the
family of dearest Christina Buelteman! Christina lost her live to a
poorly executed adhesiolysis procedure, and I mean executed and in it’s
literals form too! As I gave the eulogy for our friend, I decided to
incorporate that email from Dr. Reich, as it said in part, “ A tragedy
such as this should never impact any family as it has today. I commit
myself to the efforts of opening a facility that will offer the highest
quality adhesiolysis procedure performed by the top endoscopic surgeons
throughout the world and to offer a holistic approach to the issues
suffered by the victims of ARD!
It was then that Dr. Reich and I started to work together to focus on
accomplishing that task together. Dr. Reich putting me in touch with
the top surgeons in many country’s, in touch with Confluent Research
Company, and ultimately Dr. Kruschinski! I traveled to Frankfurt where
I spent two days and many hours in surgery with Dr. Reich, Dr.
Kruschinksi and representatives of Confluent as well as surgeons from
throughout the world. We all watched the introduction of the Abslift
and application of the Confluent Spraygel. I met with the Emma Clinic
staff where we set up a similar protocol in which they too would receive
and treat the International ARD and Ob/Gyn patients. I met with Dr.
Reich and Dr. Kruschinski where we discussed a holistic approach to the
needs of the ARD patient, one of which is a timely response to email
communications and follow-up intervention of the patient no matter the
country they came from, both areas have been exceptionally adhered to
and effective no less! Dr. Reich then graciously offered to perform his
adhesiolysis procedure in Frankfurt for those who might wish to have it.
There exists a number of excellent endoscopic surgeons in this world,
and at least one in each country with exception to third world
countries, and I have either personally met or communicated with many of
them thanks to Dr. Reich, but at this time not all of them can
accommodate the long tedious adhesiolysis procedures that they might be
inundated with on a global level! There are many hoops to jump through
in setting a facility of this magnitude up and functioning!
Dr. Reich has kept his word and one day we will see in reality clinics
not only here in the USA, but in many countries, that will serve all the
needs of the victims of ARD!
It will happen because of the compassion and skill of people like Dr.
Harry Reich, Dr. David Wiseman, Dr. Tom Lyons, Dr. Daniel
Kruschinski, Dr. Alan Johns & Dr. Korell, among others! And of course
me! Now add to that an effective adhesion barrier and the approval of a
second look procedure for all adhesiolysis procedures and you will have
the highest quality adhesiolysis procedure available in the world at
that time, for now we do have Dr. Reich, Dr.Korell and Dr. Kruschinski
if anyone so chooses that route.
Though each offers a different approach and adhesiolysis procedure in
Germany, they all use Confluent Spraygel and offer a second look
procedure, and a nice tour of a beautiful country as well!!
So you see, my friends, it is not a competition of which country has the
best surgeons, as surgery alone is not the answer to our
medical/surgical issues at all, it is simply the reality of what can
offer the best chance of improvements for the symptoms a victim of ARD
suffers!
THIS is the “what and why” of the story’s your hearing as victims of ARD
get as well as they might ever get from surgical intervention… simple,
in my opinion that is! J
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