Mother questioning surgeon's treatment!

WACindy · August 2006

My mom had a bad experience with a core needle biopsy in 2004 so this time around she had a surgeon do a surgical biospy under anesthia, the kind you get when you have a colonoscopy. In the recovery room the surgeon told her it was malignant. It was benign in 2004. About 10 days later she had a Sentinal Node Biopsy (which did NOT work on her) and a Lumpectomy. Because the SNB did not work on her she did have node tissue removed as well. The good news was that the node tissue was clean and she will not have to have any further surgery and will start 6 weeks of radiation next week. She is healing nicely as well.

Now for the problem. She has a friend who is a nurse who works in the same hospital as the surgeon does. The nurse was questioning why this surgeon didn't jsy do the lumpectomy to begin with and skip the biopsy. Now my mom is upset with her surgeon and has said she will not let him touch her again!!! I would love to know what you all think. I am thinking he wanted to do the SNB in hopes of sparing her the node tissue removal, which was the worst part of the lumpectomy. Please weigh in here!!! Thanks.

Cindy

Anonymous · August 2006

Cindy, it seems to me that people mean well when they give advice. Even someone as educated as your mother's friend, meant well with her comment I'm sure. But sometimes well intentioned advice can make us crazy because we start to second guess.

In my own experience, my surgeon wanted to be as non-invasive as he needed to be. Even though I'm sure he could tell from the mammogram that the calcifications were not going to be benign, he started with the biopsy. Your mother's surgeon did the same thing; given that her results from 2004 were benign, he most likely worked from that being the best case scenario this time. So it would follow he would do a biopsy before doing something much more invasive like a lumpectomy. After the fact, knowing that the tumour is malignant it is easy to say "we should have done...", but what if it had been benign again..would your mother have wanted a more major surgical procudure and more discomfort than necessary?

Next step for me was a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy..the sentinel node being done to hopefully, avoid needing an axillary dissection to remove further nodes. Again, trying to be as non-invasive as possible...to do the most work possible with the least discomfort for the patient. Unfortunately, 1 of my nodes was affected so I ended up needing an axillary dissection as well to rule out further involvement.

From the experience I went through, I feel that my surgeon handled this the best way possible. I like the man, I worked at building a rapport with him to make sure that we were on the same page, and I continue to value his involvement with me as I move forward. He's a valued part of my team.

If your mother likes this doctor and has confidence in him, in his ability, that's what should be her guiding motivation in whether or not she stays with him. If she likes him. Not whether anyone else does. If she feels he is not a good doctor then she should find someone she feels more comfortable with by all means.

All the best to your mother and to you as you go through this experience.

WACindy · August 2006

Thanks Sherry. I am thinking he, like Mom and I,were very hopeful that it would be benign this time as well. Everything I have read and heard leads me to believe that the steps the surgeon took were apropriate in her case. I am not too happy with this friend/nurse for saying these things to my mom.

Cindy

jz20022001 · September 2006

Surgeons routinely do a biopsy rather than just a lumpectomy. In my case - DCIS - there was no lump, just suspicious areas that were removed during the stereotactic biopsy. Then a clip was put in place so they'd know what area to remove during the lumpectomy.

Just before the lumpectomy I had a wire localization and they cut out the wire during the surgery.

Catherine

Mother questioning surgeon's treatment!

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