Question: Hi! I have a huge abdominal wall bulge on my right side. It has been diagnoised as denervation. I have seen at least 20 doctors. Currently, I am scheduled for surgery in March at Johns XXXXXXX in XXXXXXX It is with a surgeon who intends to use mesh and cut me horizontally around my right side below my ribs. He said it will be a 4 hour surgery with a minimum of 7 days in the hospital. Originally, he said he would work with a plastic surgeon at XXXXXXX and they would approach it like a tummy tuck. Now the surgeon refuses to work with the plastic surgeon because it is a big surgery. He said after a year I can go back and have a tummy tuck to remove all of the excess skin that will be all over my stomach hanging in different areas. The initial plastic surgeon I consulted said I could die, and it will not work. The majority of doctors I have seen will not touch me.
I have back surgery in 2004 and again in 2008. This buldge started around 2011... After several series of epidural blocks and than a cool needle abrasion by a D.O. Currently, the buldge has spread and I look 9 months pregnant! I was a small woman with a flat stomach until this started. I will be 69 in March. My doctor said I still look 50. I danced professional ballet . I still danced until I was 40. I worked out regularly. I was a dental hygienist for 40 years and still have an active license. I have more herniated discs above and below the hardware. This buldge is so high on my stomach now, I have trouble bending and breathing. I am not exercising. I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon at XXXXXXX again on March 15. The surgeon said if I want the plastic surgeon to do the procedure that was up to me, but he did not recommend it. I live in the DC area. I want to hear what the conversation was between the general surgeon and the plastic surgeon.

The first plastic surgeon who I consulted with said I could end up with worse pain and that here is no way to repair this and he does not want me to risk my life. In the meantime I do not want to live my life with my body looking freakish. What to do? I was in arizona last year and made an appointment at the mayo clinic. Five doctors went over my records and they cancelled my appointment. They said they could not help me. I am going to arizona in Feb. again. I made an appointment again and they called me and cancelled it. They said there is no doctor there who can help me.

I have had Shiatsu therapy. It did not help. It was done by an Asian trained female doctor in XXXXXXX Nerve conduction studies were never done. I asked several of the prepherial nerve specialists that I saw and they said it is not necessary. The last scan I had with contrast showed a small inguinal hernia on the left side which the doctors at Johns XXXXXXX and two plastic surgeons said it was so small that no repair is necessary. This scan also showed a hiatal hernia which was not present when I had a scan back in the spring. I would imagine that it is caused by the bulge getting larger on the whole front of my abdomin and causing more pressure. I forgot to mention, I was diagnoised with Sjögren's syndrome in my mid 30's, I do have problems with that which seem to have gotten worse over the years. I take Prevacid twice a day to prevent Barrett's esophagus, I was diagnoised with Hashimotos about 5 years ago. My daughter was diagnoised with it at age 12 with a goiter, we never ever noticed! My gynecologist diagnoised it after my annual checkup and blood tests. He said it was rare at my age to show up with it. I also have fibromyalgia. I rarely get even a cold...basically just my back and now my front. I saw some Chinese doctors and herbalists for about two years who were older and had been prisoners of war. He was an orthopedic surgeon and she was a neurosurgeon. When they saw pictures of my back around 2007, before my second surgery, they told me I needed surgery and would not work on me any longer. They said if I had shown them the X-rays, they would have operated on me immediately. The chiropractor that I have been seeing currently said the bulge is pulling on my lower spine where I have 2-3 more ruptured discs and the pulling is causing more of a new scoliosis. My gyn said I need surgery. My orthopedic surgeon , who is chief at GW hospital, in his 40's, said he has never seen this. My chiropractor has never seen this, he is in his late 50's. Most of the general surgeons and plastic surgeons have never seen it. One general surgeon who said he would operate, when I came back over a year later said he would not because he did it on two men with smaller bulges this past year and it did not work, within 3-4 months it came back. XXXX

I forgot to tell you....the doctors mostly agree that there is no herina....there is no tear ..just a right flank wall buldge. Several doctors are still calling it a hernia...but there is no tear in the abdominal wall. I also am on Crestor for cholestrol and Cozar with HTZ in am and Cozar without pm. My cardiologist is pleased with the results of my clearance for surgery,.he is older and said I have to get rid of the buldge! He is not happy with my lack of exercise. I have lost my mom , Five friends, and I buried my 42 year old son on October 5' 2014. He was found dead in his driveway in XXXXXXX on March 11, 2013...he would have turned 43 on April 5. Needless to say, I also have a broken heart. The police said he fell 7 steps walking up a side porch to go into his house through his kitchen. I know for sure that he didn't fall. His pants pockets were insideout, his wallet was empty except for a debit card. It took me a trial and lawyers and $50,000 and I lost. His whole estate was emptied out within two weeks of his death by my 81 year old ex...who is a millionaire. I raised my son from the time he was 5...,i now have a friend within the FBI who is poking around...but I doubt that there will ever be closure...so along with my buldge I colapsed getting off the plane after my second trip to chattanooga?.with all my doctors, no one picked up the high blood pressure...unless grief caused it.

My doctors feel that Shiatsu and acupuncture is a waste of my money. They all agree that it may feel good, but it is not going to cure the problem. I see a rheumatologist at Georgetown hospital annually. At the last visit, he said my blood work was good. I am on no meds for Sjögren's and fibromyalgia, except for eye drops. I also had cataract surgery on both eyese in April and May with crystal lens. I have never worn glasses...it was sudden...a few weeks ago I had lazer on each eye a week apart...my eyes are not as good as they were and burn. I have macular puckers in both eyes, but the opthomologist/ surgeon along with the retina specialist are going to follow it closely. I still feel young except for all of these issues! I will send you a picture that the first plastic surgeon has when this denervation first began and I will send you the reports ASAP. I looked more online and found a Doctor named XXXXXXX Demanian who is a specialist on denervation who is in XXXXXXX I am going to a fountain pen show in XXXXXXX I think in April. I will cancel the surgery at XXXXXXX in March and wait until I see the doctor in XXXXXXX ..he is a general surgeon, plastic surgeon, and hand surgeon. In the meantime, it's hard to believe that there seems to be very little resources as doctors who know how to address my problem. I just don't want to live this way!
Yours truly, XXXX

Thank you, I will get back to you. I will in the meantime look for another practioner of Shiatsu. It is possible if I get an RX from one of the many doctors that my insurance might cover it. I do believe in Eastern medicine. I had a XXXXXXX accupuncturist who retired at 93! He cured me of many issues that I was having!
Thanks so much for yor opinions...my friend who lives in Israel suggested I go to XXXXXXX for treatment! Yours truly, XXXX

I have sent you probably two many reports and the photos from the first plastic surgeon i consulted. The photos from the plastic surgeon were taken at least 2 years prior. It is much worse now. the swelling covers my whole abdomen from under my breast. i truly look 7 months pregnant. Thanks soo much for your efforts. i am having a very difficult time getting in touch with a Shiatsu therapist. they are not around this area. i found one two hours away.
ypurs truly, XXXX

I found a therapist yesterday that practices shiatsu 7am-10pm near me, but he has no openings until March! And he said I would need treatment 3 times a week. The othe practioner said he has an office an hour away and another one 1 1/2 hours each way. He said he trained with the most famous shiatsu instructor in the Us and Europe for 7 years and he has been in private practice for 7 years. The only thing he said was that he does not perform shiatsu without accupuncture...he feels it works best that way. Again he wants me to come 3 days a week for a month and than evaluate . He charges $150 per hour! I am retired and I cannot afford that....but I could go twice and see what happens. Insurance will not pay for it. I send you all the medical reports and some bad photos...it's much worse than the wise photo! Thanks, XXXXXXX

I see the plastic surgeon at Johns XXXXXXX Hospital on Thursday. He was suppose to work with the chief of surgery, Dr. Eckhauser at XXXXXXX and they were going to go in and do the repairs like a tummy tuck, Dr. Eckhauser was going to place the mesh and try to do something on the righ side to the muscles so he said it might help my back also and stop the scoliosis that is now pulling to the right, wher I also have 3 more herniated discs below the hardware.

Dr. Eckhauser consulted with the plastic surgeon Dr. Rossin,who I believe I saw first at XXXXXXX Dr. Rossin said he could do the whole surgery by himself, place the mesh and approach it as a tummy tuck. Dr. Rossin is youngish and Dr. Eckhauser is probably in his 70's.

Two weeks ago when I saw Dr. Eckhauser he said he would not work with Dr. Rossin, because it was too big of a surgery and the repair should be done first cutting me from my righ side to my middle. He said that alone is a big surgery and there may be considerable pain involved. I will be in the hospital a minimum of 7 days and it will be a 4 month recouperation!

He said it may not work permanently, there is chance of infection and I may have worse pain after placement of the mesh. He said if the buldge comes back they will go back in thought the scar.

He said if it works, I can go to dr. Rosson or whoever a year after to have a tummy tuck to remove all of the skin that he said will be hanging in different places. The reason I sent you the picture of me in the bikini was to show you how small my waist was and until 3 years ago my stomach was flat as a pancake!

I will send you a picture of my stomach after this weekend or sooner. I am going to ask Dr. Rosson on Thursday about the other tests...it certainly makes sense to me.

I do not believe that Dr. Rosson has done a denervation case. I think Dr. Eckhauser has done only a few and they were not successful. I am going to cancel the surgery appointment I have with him in March. Dr. Eckhauser told me that if I want the plastic surgeon, Dr. Rosson to do it all at once it's up to me, but he does not recommend it..several other surgeons and a few plastic surgeons said I could bleed
intercostally, not sure if I am wording it correctly...but they said there would not be enough time for them to do all of the repairs at one time and I could croak(die)!

I think everything you told me is logical and I wish you were not in XXXXXXX You are the only doctor who has answer my questions logically. I have a friend who is a massage therapist, not very good, but she knows someone near me who has done Shiatsu for 14 years...so I am going to get her name...I think she did a little training in China, but mainly here. I understand she. Charges between $150-200 per hour! I certainly would rather try this than surgery. I believe I told you about a doctorin XXXXXXX who is a specialist in denervation. I will be in XXXXXXX in April. I am going to make an appointment with him. I have waited this long ...hopefully nothing will explode between now and than... If I do not get any answers, I will try and find out if my health insurance would pay for me to have surgery in XXXXXXX I want to live , be well and look normal! Thanks so much for your kindness...I will be in touch ith you after my appointment on Thursday.
Sincerely,
XXXX