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Deborah, This is the response which I wrote to the List earlier today (I just got back from vacation). If you are in North Carolina, go to Dr. Allan H. Friedman at Duke before you consider any surgery. The Chiari stuff is far from recognized as scientific truth. Best, Bob Fink ------- Forwarded message follows ------ Priority: normal Date sent: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 13:07:15 -0700 Send reply to: [log in to unmask] From: "Robert A. Fink, M. D." <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Chiari and ovarian cancer To: [log in to unmask] 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" ********************************************* ------ End of forwarded message ------- ********************************************** 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" ********************************************* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn