Surgery provides relief from COPD

Friday, February 21, 2014

Contributed by Barry Geersten

Do you often find yourself short of breath? Are you easily fatigued by even the simplest household tasks? Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with COPD or another pulmonary disease? Have you been suffering with these symptoms for years? You might be suffering needlessly and you may find relief by having a surgery known as a PTE (pulmonary thromboendarterectomy). Nevada Missouri resident Susan Geertsen had this surgery in October 2013.

Over two years ago, Susan noticed that she was easily fatigued and out of breath while doing the simple exercise of walking. Initial testing pointed to pulmonary hypertension but the cause remained unknown. After a few weeks, the symptoms subsided only to return with a vengeance several months later. A hospital visit to St. Luke's in Kansas City in October 2012 revealed that she had blood clots in her lungs, a life-threatening condition. She was placed on oxygen and blood thinners. Doctors fully expected that her clots would dissolve within a few months.

Her symptoms did not improve though; she continued being fatigued, had little energy, and did not want to go anywhere. Her pulmonologist was baffled, could not explain the reasons for her symptoms, and told her that she just needed confidence. She decided to seek a second opinion. With the support and assistance of her primary care physician, Dr. Russell Kemm, she was referred to Dr. Timothy Williamson, a pulmonologist at KU Medical Center in Kansas City.

After a few tests, Dr. Williamson correctly diagnosed that her blood clots had never dissolved; instead they had turned into scar tissue and were still obstructing the arteries in her lungs. Having interned in San Diego, he had connections with the pulmonary team at UCSD Medical Center and knowledge of a unique surgery that they had pioneered called a PTE- a complicated and somewhat risky procedure.

Approved as a candidate for this surgery, she travelled to San Diego in late September 2013. Naturally apprehensive, her concerns were somewhat eased by talking to other PTE patients and by the fact that the surgeons at this hospital had achieved a high success rate, having performed this surgery almost 3,000 times. In fact, as circumstances had it, she became the 3,000th patient to have this surgery in San Diego. Because of this, her story was recorded on video and can be seen on YouTube at the following link or by doing a search in YouTube for "3000th PTE" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ8aC6KpiYw&feature=share&list=PLp5o_4MxOoYStYgRS....

Her persistence, determination, and courage to go through with the surgery despite her apprehension were rewarded; she came through it with flying colors. There were no complications and she was released from the hospital just nine days later. On the day she was released she was told that she no longer needed oxygen and she remains oxygen free to this day. When she first went to the hospital for treatment in October of 2012, her oxygen saturation numbers measured in the mid 80s. Today they routinely measure 98 percent or better. She looks forward to a much improved quality of life.

Her time experiencing these symptoms was relatively short. Some spend years suffering needlessly with these same symptoms-shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches, and dizziness. By sharing this story, Susan hopes to educate more pulmonologists and their patients of the benefits of a PTE. She wants patients whose pulmonologists just tell them "see you in three months" to know that they have an option. The PTE is a life enhancing, and in many cases -- life saving-surgery.

For more information about the PTE, visit the UCSD Medical Center website at http://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/cardiovascular/programs/pulmonary-vascular-di....

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