Surgeons Use of Abusive Tactics To Get You Have The Surgery for a Thyroid Nodule or Cancer.

First, thyroid surgery is the primary method of treatment for most thyroid cancers. However, it still is the job of the surgeon it discuss viable alternatives before pushing for a surgery date for the operation. The two areas that there are viable alternatives include the use of active surveillance and thermal ablation for micro-papillary thyroid cancers. Two examples below of surgeons over-stepping and failing to honor the patient’s desire to explore alternative therapy. In one the patient had a Facebook group tell her she was not wrong in asking for another opinion, and radiofrequency ablation was a possible alternative for her. The second was when a tumor board of the university scolded the surgeon for not honoring the patient’s wishes to not have surgery and not exploring alternatives.She found thyroid RFA on the internet!

1. In the last month I have seen two patients with thyroid cancer that told about their surgeon’s use of any method to force them to have surgery instead of alternative radiofrequecy ablation RFA.
2. One had a 1 cm micropapillary MPTC thyroid cancer. She was referred to the top thyroid surgeon after refusing to agree to a total thyroidectomy by her local surgeon.
3. The thyroid surgeon told her she did not need a total but needed a lobectomy. She was confused why the surgeons gave different recommendations. He was very forceful and pushed her to make a date for the lobectomy operation.
4. She went to a Facebook group on alternative therapy for thyroid nodules and cancer. There is learned about thyroid RFA.
5. She found my website on recommendation from a member of the FB group.
6. 5 days before the planned surgery she had my opinion that she did not have to have her lobe removed. Thyroid RFA could ablate the small cancer without surgery.
7. She called and canceled the surgery and after my evaluation set up her cancer treatment with me.
8. The famous thyroid surgeon called her. He was upset she canceled.Told her it was possible “It could easily spread if not dealt with now. If it spread you would be in a bad position.”
9. He also laid a guilt trip on her that he had the equipment and staff all set to do her surgery. He was put out by her cancellation, but never offered her time to get other opinions. He also stated that his major university hospital does not do thyroid RFA, but failed to refer to others that did. Also he failed to discuss active surveillance as a viable alternative to surgery.
10. She told me the surgeon scared her. I told her the ablation would most likely prevent the spread and she also had the option to have active surveillance.
11. My thyroid blog described how a thyroid surgeon was abusive and was insulted by her refusal to have surgery for her small cancer. This case was presented to the World Thyroid Cancer Meeting in October. A tumor board member was critical about the way the surgeon acted.The physician surgeon moderator said there is no place for a surgeon to act in a hostile manner to force them to have surgery.
12. Alternative Therapy For Recurrent Thyroid Cancer:Ethical Issues of Patient’s Rights to Decide Therapy.
13. Call me at 310-393-8860 or thyroid.manager@thyroid.com to get my opinion BEFORE you agree to surgery.
14. You should never feel forced to keep a surgery date if you have questions that were not addressed.
15. THYROID NODULE OR CANCER SURGERY IS ELECTIVE NOT EMERGENCY IN MOST CASES.