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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / December 2003Question regarding ductal papillomas and surgery
First of all, I hope it's okay to pose a question to all of you, even though I'm a guy (i.e., I don't know if this newsgroup is intended to be gender specific). After experiencing some bleeding from my left nipple it was determined that the 'culprit' was a ductal papilloma. So, the surgeon has told me not to worry, it isn't cancerous, per se. The specialist I was referred to by my GP, seems to lean toward doing the duct excision under general NOT local anesthesia. Most of what I have read (including the Merc manual) and what my GP (who is also a surgeon) told me,,, the norm for duct excision or even lumpectomies is to use local. So, I guess what I am asking, is does it seem to be overkill to have a patient have general anesthesia for a procedure that is usually done via local? Thank you all for your time! Cecil > First of all, I hope it's okay to pose a question to all of you, even though > I'm a guy (i.e., I don't know if this newsgroup is intended to be gender [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Cecil Welcome to the group. No it is not gender specific at all, although it does tend to provide a pleasantly testosterone-free zone of Usenet. The group caters to all who's lives are affected by breast cancer, patients (of either sex) carers, relatives, or just plain worried. I would ask the surgeon why he wants to use a general. He must have his reasons. There are more risks and costs associated with general anaesthesia, so it is not something one would do for fun. Then again, when I had to have a minor operation on a hand, I got a general after two attempts to administer a local nerve block failed. The anaesthetist had the general prepared as a backup and just cheerfully said "Oh well, you're going to have to sleep" and injected it. "Goodnight". Tim Jackson (who is quite gender specific) Thank you very much Tim! As a private pilot, I actually frequent the aviation newsgroups and know that sometimes newsgroups have specific rules/restrictions (of course the aviation groups are open to anyone), so that's why I thought I'd let everyone know, if there was some reason the goal of the newsgroup was to be gender specific that I'd certainly respect that (and if it was,,,, I simply posted because I didn't know). > I would ask the surgeon why he wants to use a general. He must have his > reasons. There are more risks and costs associated with general > anesthesia, so it is not something one would do for fun. He had told me that the nipple (hard for me to say, 'cause before I began this whole 'adventure' I never thought of myself as having 'breasts' <grin>) has lots of nerve endings and that being awake during a surgery can be traumatic,,, blah, blah, blah. It was one of those conversations where one felt that doing the procedure under local made HIM uncomfortable - at that point I found myself thinking that there isn't much sense in having a surgeon do something that appears to be outside their comfort range - that maybe I should just cancel the pending surgery and get a second opinion. While he said he could be willing to 'try' and do it with just the local, it was clear that his heart wouldn't be in it, so to speak. His explanation didn't make sense regarding the potential for pain, since if a physician applies the local anesthesia correctly, there should only be at the very most, minor discomfort. I was thinking too that even women who are undergoing a C-section (REAL major surgery - much more than my duct excision) get a regional anesthesia. I'm kind of leaning towards taking up my GP on his offer to refer me to another specialist who can provide me with a second opinion AND one who isn't averse to using local anesthesia. I'm not a 'big fan' of pain, but I've certainly dealt with some in my life (including having to set my own arm that had been twisted-broken into a backwards position immediately after a hangglider accident I had when I was in my late teens/early 20's ((age (almost 43) has brought with it wisdom, which is why I now only fly airplanes))). So, I certainly think I can hold up to the discomfort of the duct excision under local.  Signature-- Thanks again !!! Good Flights! Cecil Chapman "We who fly do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet" - Cecil Day Lewis- Check out my personal flying adventures: www.bayareapilot.com > First of all, I hope it's okay to pose a question to all of you, even though > I'm a guy (i.e., I don't know if this newsgroup is intended to be gender [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Cecil cecil - heh. |
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