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| SLAD surgery with Kaiser doctor |  | ||
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Posted by: (Teresa)June ® 07/12/2010, 00:49:19 |
I had SLAD surgery 8 weeks ago. I tried to get approved to go to Dr. Berke at UCLA. I know he's an excellent, experienced doctor.
However, my HMO wouldn't approve. In my struggle to get approved, Kaiser found out they now have a doctor who trained under Dr. Berke and who assisted in many surgeries (I was told 40-45). A couple of Dr. Berke's staff reassured me that Kaiser surgeon is very good. So I ended up having surgery at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana, Ca. and surgery was done by Dr. Ghadiali, with Dr. Segall (Head of Head and Neck), and one of Dr. Berke's doctors (Dr. Howard). They were all good. The hospital staff were very attentive. I had good care. My sister and I were very impressed with Dr. Ghadiali. The surgery went well. When I woke up from recovery I was talking and remember saying that I could talk without catches (doctor grinned and was pleased with that). I was the first to have this surgery at Kaiser hospital, but if my fight helped others, it's worth it. Couldn't have done it without my good primary KP doctor, and Dr. Howard (Dr. Berke's office). Again, Dr. Gerald Berke has the many years of experience and high success rate. So most will go to him. But if you're a Kaiser patient and they want to send you to Dr. Ghadiali, I feel very confident already (8 weeks later) in saying the surgery was a success and he's a very skilled, good doctor. Good luck to anyone who is trying to get the surgery, and to all who struggle with SD. God bless. |
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Posted by: Jeff Brode ® 07/12/2010, 23:24:00 |
"When I woke up from recovery I was talking and remember saying that I could talk without catches (doctor grinned and was pleased with that)" That is one speedy recovery! Good to hear you had good results. Dr. Berke has had his failures, though. It has been a little over ten years since Dr. Gerald Berke and Dr. Joel Blumin did SLAD-R on me. It has been a little over ten years since the last time I ever had a voice. My vocal cords never reinnervated and basically shrivelled away to nothing. So, I have whispered since then. Breathing and aspiration are the biggest problems now and pose their own set of challenges. They are significant. Think twice before having this surgery. It is irreversible. You can find my story with a google search (Jeff Brode). If I can help with any questions, I can be reached at jefbrode@comcast.net |
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Posted by: irish ® 07/20/2010, 23:51:17 |
Hi Jeff and June I had SLAD-R surgery two years ago and I too am happy that i did it. When Jeff had his surgery, they had to revise the surgery because they found that they were cutting too much muscle. Fortunately surgeons learn from their mistakes, so people like Jeff have helped the rest of us have better results. Irish
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Posted by: Gary Lea ® 07/30/2010, 23:57:19 |
Well put, Irish. I was aware of Jeff's situation (and several others) before I had my surgery with Dr. Berke. Dr. Berke indicated to me that they learned from some of the early surgeries, and adjusted the operation, especially for males. I, too, am very satisfied with my surgery, now 3.5 years out. I rarely think of my voice, and for all intents and purposes it's normal. To my knowledge there have been no failures like Jeff's for a number of years but I certainly feel I owe Jeff and other SLAD-R "pioneers" an enormous debt of gratitude for taking the risks early on, benefiting so many of us who followed. Gary Lea |
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