Misdiagnosed and butchered

ccarabella

Newbie
Feb 5, 2002
733
12
0
My dad was having problems with his prostate and after several Dr?s visits he was told he had to remove his prostate. He is not one to go see a Dr as he has been devoid of any health problems, and at his 75 years had never been hospitalized. Stubborn as he has become and against his friend?s advice (a Dr himself) he decided to have his prostate removed. I was already headed down on vacation and without prior notice he plans this surgery during my visit.

Though he was treated very well by the physician and the staff, the entire process, hospitalization, care, prescriptions, surgery were very different from any conventional healthcare provider in the US.

$5000+US, three months later and 20lbs lighter, my dad is still having ?side effects? and is deteriorating. The Doctor, of course, refers him to other specialists and insists that he has recovered from prostate surgery and is having other "unrelated" complications. After dad confesses to 2 weeks of diarrhea I board the first plane to Santiago where he awaits at the boarding area in a wheelchair! We immediately fly to the US where I drive straight to the emergency room and he is promptly admitted.

Long story short(er)? The Doctors examination and review of the paperwork from DomRep reveal that dad has rectal cancer and NOT prostate cancer. They are baffled as to how this Physician could not have seen the almost 5? tumor at the end of his colon, precisely below where the prostate was sitting.

Dad has had surgery to repair another complication and now has to go through radiation, possibly chemo and more surgery to try and remove the tumor at his advanced age.

Despite my dads (previous) healthy status these therapies are severe, especially, for someone his age.

I don?t know how to deal or proceed with this ?Physician? right now as I am focused on dad's recovery and I know we don?t have any recourse. He has a pretty solid reputation but I can?t help but feel that he knew what he saw when he cut dad open and he made a conscious, erroneous and careless decision.

I am devastated, We are devastated.
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
I am so sorry that this has happened to your family. I am only a nurse but I can tell you by working un the OR that there is no way he could not have seen that tumor. Was your dad's surgery open? I don't know if you have any.recourse with the physician in DR but even if you don't, once your dad is feeling a little better and you feel up to it, I would call him and tell him the situation. Maybe his conscience will eat him up and he will think mote about the lives of his future patients.
I as a nurse, who has not spent 8 years in surgical residency, can see a tumor when the patient is in surgery. There is no way that he did not see it. And tumors do not grow to that size in such a short time

SHALENA

P.S. Again, I am so sorry for your family. A su papi, que Dios lo bendiga.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
I am so sorry that this has happened to your family. I am only a nurse but I can tell you by working un the OR that there is no way he could not have seen that tumor. Was your dad's surgery open? I don't know if you have any.recourse with the physician in DR but even if you don't, once your dad is feeling a little better and you feel up to it, I would call him and tell him the situation. Maybe his conscience will eat him up and he will think mote about the lives of his future patients.
I as a nurse, who has not spent 8 years in surgical residency, can see a tumor when the patient is in surgery. There is no way that he did not see it. And tumors do not grow to that size in such a short time

SHALENA

P.S. Again, I am so sorry for your family. A su papi, que Dios lo bendiga.
If he had a TURP they wouldn't have seen the tumor.

Very sad...
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
My son Marco had an appendicitis attack, but "they" could not find the appendix. So they made an incision and found his appendix adhered to the back wall, in back of the intestines, all shriveled up. It never occurred to them to ask why it was like that. They did a biopsy on the appendix which showed no cancer, but the place where the appendix is joined to the large intestine was where the colon cancer was located and he was dead a year and a month later. A simple feel of the area would have revealed the tiny (at that time) cancer. The one they took out was bigger than a softball, but it was too late.

I am truly sorry for your situation, and I hope he can survive. Trust in God and some luck.

HB
 
Jan 5, 2006
1,582
38
0
CB, a TURP procedure is not full removal of the prostate. ;) I seriously doubt that a minimally invasive prostatectomy is available anywhere in DR, so it would be impossible for the surgeon to have missed such a growth during open surgery.

Hopefully the doctors in the US got to your father in time for him to make a full recovery from this ordeal, Good luck!
 

Chuck T

Banned
Nov 30, 2010
723
4
0
My son Marco had an appendicitis attack, but "they" could not find the appendix. So they made an incision and found his appendix adhered to the back wall, in back of the intestines, all shriveled up. It never occurred to them to ask why it was like that. They did a biopsy on the appendix which showed no cancer, but the place where the appendix is joined to the large intestine was where the colon cancer was located and he was dead a year and a month later. A simple feel of the area would have revealed the tiny (at that time) cancer. The one they took out was bigger than a softball, but it was too late.

I am truly sorry for your situation, and I hope he can survive. Trust in God and some luck.

HB
HB , a sad and tragic story , my prayers to you.
 

Chuck T

Banned
Nov 30, 2010
723
4
0
ccarabella : yes , it is a very sad and depressing story and you and your's will be in my thoughts and prayers.
 
Jan 5, 2006
1,582
38
0
Yes; but it's an uphill battle! You'll find that even in instances of gross misconduct, these cases get swept under the rug, as the doctors are usually well connected and/or pay off the right people to make the problem go away. Sad, but true!
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
CB, a TURP procedure is not full removal of the prostate. ;) I seriously doubt that a minimally invasive prostatectomy is available anywhere in DR, so it would be impossible for the surgeon to have missed such a growth during open surgery.
My key word was "if."
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
If he had a TURP they wouldn't have seen the tumor.

Very sad...

He did not have a TURP, he had a prostatectomy, and I am assuming (I know I shouldn't assume) that it was open as I do nor think that they use the robot yet in DR, which is how the majority of our prostatectomies are done. I have assisted in only 2 radical open prostatectomies but I can tell you, he should have seen it....no way he did not see it. Knowing what it was....maybe that was the problem, but not seeing it on an open case....no way.

SHALENA
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
My dad had lung cancer in the 90's and had a lung removed and chemo and survived. Right before Christmas 2002 he went to his doctor for his checkup and they found spots on his chest xray. The doctor allowed my Dad to wait until after the holidays to do a biopsy. By the time they did a biopsy in January the cancer was spreading and he died in February. My Mom could have sued the doctor but she realized that wouldn't bring our Dad back and it isn't necessarily that easy either. Doctors make mistakes like the rest of us and some are also very good while others are marginal at best - just like in any other profession.
 

ccarabella

Newbie
Feb 5, 2002
733
12
0
We're hanging in there...

Dad had a full (radical) prostatectomy where an approximate 10" incision was made below the naval.
He is in good spirits but has his moments. He ocassionally complains about losing his cash LOL.

@Shalena - Muchas gracias. The Dr will eventually hear from me. Thanks for the best wishes.
@HB - Wow! incredibly heartbreaking. I'm sorry that you had to relive that moment. I wish you and your family the best and may the good memories of your son always be with you.
@Chip - So sad about dad. Makes me think what lies ahead of us. I'm sorry for your loss.
@Drake & Chuck T - Dad had 3 Doctors opinions. 2yea, 1 nay.

Everyone - Thank you for your words of encouragement. Sometimes we take our health for granted. I have never really been around a very sick person and going to the Oncology & Radiation unit was a sad dose of reality.
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
I am sorry for your Fathers avoidable predictament. If you are going to sue the Doctor which you should as the only means to ensure that he will at least try harder to do a good job do not go to him first and give away your game plan. If you are not going to sue him please name him here so we will know.