Robert Fink has made very disturbing statements about the diagnosis and the
treatment that Deborah is receiving. All of us are full of indignation for
Deborah's past treatment and of admiration for her spunkiness in finding a
new solution. But if Dr Fink, one of our resident neurologists, is close to
being correct in his warning we may be encouraging still more destructive
behavior. Can some of those who are close to the case tell us that Dr.
Fink's warnings have been heeded and the current procedures are ok.
Jules Margolis, cg for Doris 79/10.
At 01:07 PM 8/17/02 -0700, Robert A. Fink, M. D. wrote:
>I do not have Deborah's e-mail address, so my response goes to the
>List.
>
>Be VERY wary of surgeons who want to operate on you for Chiari I
>malformation. There is a small group of neurosurgeons who have made
>quite a good living by performing these surgeries on people with this
>condition. Chiari I is a mild birth defect at the base of the skull,
>which, in most patients, causes NO problems at all. If problems are
>caused by Chiari malformations (usually by the types II and III),
>these problems are due to obstruction of spinal fluid circulation
>(hydrocephalus), and the symptoms are severe and life-threatening.
>Posterior fossa decompression and/or shunting is indicated for the
>treatment of this type of malformation.
>
>The above (serious) problems usually develop in childhood and rarely
>cause trouble in adults. We have found many cases of Chiari Type I
>as incidental findings when patients have cervical MRI studies for
>other conditions (cervical discs, etc.); and, in most cases, the
>findings are *incidental*. They do not need "correction".
>
>A group of neurosurgeons, however, has made a big deal about
>operating on these malformations for various complaints, including
>the symptoms that Deborah speaks of in the e-mail which was forwarded
>to me. Such other conditions as "fibromyalgia" have also been
>ascribed to Chiari Type I. There was a program on TV a couple of
>years ago which popularized the "cure" and it was so poorly-based
>scientifically that the national neurosurgical societies in the USA
>published a paper warning the public that surgery for this set of
>problems was unproven and not risk-free.
>
>Get a good evaluation from a neurosurgical center (such as Dr.
>Patrick Kelly at NYU) before you accept this stuff about Chiari Type
>I.
>
>I would definitely get active as to the issue of the ovarian cancer.
>Abdominal exploration may indeed be indicated.
>
>
>Best,
>
>Bob
>
>**********************************************
>Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C.
>2500 Milvia Street Suite 222
>Berkeley, California 94704-2636
>Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557
>WWW: http://www.rafink.com/
>
>mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
>"Ex Tristitia Virtus"
>
>*********************************************
>
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