(Research question) Biopsies

Phots Moll

I have a character with suspected bowel cancer. How soon after visiting her GP would she be likely to go into hospital/see specialist? She's very reluctant so would try to delay this.

When she has the examination, she's found to have a cyst which is treated. Would a biopsy still be done, or would it be clear she didn't have cancer?

If there was a biopsy, how soon would she have the result?

Nefertari

You need Ceka! She'll be back soon.

cath

they have a system called HSC - dont know what it stand for but it is a fast track system for anyone who is suspected of having any form of cancer and a target for them to be seen by a specialist within 2 weeks.

She could have a barium meal which is radioactdive and looks at the gullet and i think the small intestines, and then a barium ennema that goes up the bottom ( i can give you loads of detail about having had one myself) and the probably a sigmoidoscopy, which is a flexible tube up the bottom. biopsies from the end of the large bowel can be taken through a sigmoidoscopy. Not sure how long it takes results to come through if it is high probablility of cancer, but I was told that my test seemed okay on the day and then went to see my GP a few weeks later and he confirmed this. All done under mild sedation.

Phots Moll

Thanks, Cath - that's very helpful. Glad you got a good result and quickly.

Fortunately, it's not my mc who has this, so I don't need too much detail, but I do have to get the timings right. Were you just in hospital for the day?

cath

just for the afternoon...all took about 2 hours. had to have some bowel prep the day before, which involved low residue diet and medicine called picolax that gave me an exploding bottom...nice and clear for the cameras if you know what i mean. Way too much info I know, but I like to get carried away a bit!

Phots Moll

Thanks, Cath. Hope I haven't brought back unpleasant memories.

cath

Don't worry. The only bit that hurt was the fact that the Nursing Times weren't interested in the story I wrote about it. LOL

Phots Moll

Ouch!

pbw

Can I take advantage of this medical thread please to ask some questions too?

One of my characters is in a clinic and he has been drugged (illegally) because he's been kidnapped. Now they are planning to prepare him for the operation. Would they give him a further anaesthetic? Would they wait for him to wake up and then pre-med him properly? would they calculate sufficient time since he'd last eaten (twelve hours isn't it)? I need enough information just to make it sound realistic and I also need an excuse for the operation to be delayed, so if they were forced to wait for one lot of drugs to wear off before pre-medding him, that would be ideal.

cath

Sorry, I'm so out of date with surgery. is it a general anaesthetic or local one? I supose it would all depend on the proceedure and if htose doing the op cared if he lived or died after the op. I take it he has been kidnapped by those performing to surgery. Are they after a kidney or something???

Jan

[quote=paperbackwriter]if they were forced to wait for one lot of drugs to wear off before pre-medding him[/quote]
Should your villains need the character to live, for development of the plot, they would be responsible enough to delay administering further drugs.
Assuming the initial drugging was a measured dose to induce comotose without harm, it would have to disperse before an accurate calculation of anaesthetic could be administered for control through an operation.
Alternatively, quite a few operations can be completed using only localised anaesthetic. Keeping the victim alert to the misdemeanours being carried out might suit your villains purpose. Depending upon intended scalpel action may affect purpose and type of operation. Consider removal of a limb being possible without need for full unconscious state. Are villains likely to be so considerate to their victim?

My opinion is based upon personal surgical procedures and knowledge shared from medically professional friends.

mema

My general medical knowledge is a little out of date but as far as I remember if it's a life saving operation they may not wait for anything, just anesthetise his as soon as it was known he was stable.
if it's a planned operation or not so urgent, they would wait for him to wake up; same for food - if not empty stomach they would not anesthesie him unless life in danger.

pbw

This is perfect, guys. To answer your questions and put you out of your misery: The villains don't care if he lives or dies, but they don't want to risk being prosecuted for medical negligence (they've got enough heat on them already) so they will ensure that he lives, if possible. It has to be a general anaesthetic because they are going to fry specific sectors of his brain (ooooh-er!). The fact that they have to wait for him to wake up before they administer further drugs is absolutely PERFECT for my plot, thank you.

Carol

Some brain ops are done with the patient awake PBW, which might introduce an interesting problem...

dora

Doesn't bear thinking about

Phots Moll

PBW, they've kidnapped someone, drugged them, want to fry his brain, don't care if he dies, but are worried then suddenly about being prosecuted for medical negligence?

pbw

PBW, they've kidnapped someone, drugged them, want to fry his brain, don't care if he dies, but are worried then suddenly about being prosecuted for medical negligence?

PM, There are good reasons why they need to leave him alive, trust me.

Phots Moll

Ok - I believe you.

mema

if they want to play with his brain they don;t need GA. Brain does not have pain receptors
Do you need GA?

cath

good point!

Phots Moll

[quote=mema]Brain does not have pain receptors[/quote] How come we get headaches then?

Carol

That's the muscles tightening up I think PM- if you're talking normal headaches..

One of the region's hospitals were doing some new brain surgery, either earlier this year or late last year, and the local news covered it. The Dr's explained that because of the way the brain is constructed you only need to be a little bit out and you can damage a bit you don't want touched. This is why they keep the patient awake and get them to perform certain tasks- say blinking, opening their mouth etc so they know that they are where they need to be.

So if the villians want to fry a certain bit of the guy's brain...

pbw

I think they want to work on him with a laser. I'll go back to the evil corporation and find out exactly what their dastardly techniques are. It could be they want to place an implant which will trigger certain default behaviour to stop him doing certain things.

Carol

You could do that with hypnosis probably.

pbw

Good thought. I think after everything you guys have said, I will leave the hero drugged up to the eyeballs on his trolley, but he'll have to wait around for the brain specialist to arrive.

Phots Moll

Being left waiting on a trolley sounds pretty authentic!

Jan

This BBC television programme may help.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011db8c/Inside_the_Human_Body_Building_Your_Brain/

Woll22

You could write to the Lancet as well if you need more, there are also loads of medical encyclopaedias. Write to the administrator of your local hospital and say you are doing some research for a story you are writing and ask if you can use their library. Little tip when it is published, the book I mean, give him or her a complimentary copy as a thank you. It might pay for you to invest with Freelance Market News and get an identity card which you can show when you go to visit the hospital. If you need photocopies to take home to study at your own leisure. The above is a good investment. I hope this has helped you

snailmale

Missed this first time round. I had a problem a few years back, thankfully successfully resolved, when I had a perforation between bladder and bowl, resulting in solids finding their way in to my bladder. As part of the diagnosis, I spent an afternoon on a hospital examination table after first being persuaded to drink several gallons of water to ensure my bladder was completely full. The specialist then inserted a camera down my apprehensive manhood, to ascertain the damage, and eventually cheerfully informed me that there was a hole "big enough to drive a bus through." The next step was a biopsy, so a pair of tweezer things was introduced alongside the camera in order to obtain a piece of tissue. He poked around inside for what seemed ages, grunting and 'tsk'-ing without success, and the nurse eventually piped up, "Shall I have a go?" Between them they managed the job, and removed the implements from my unhappy person. "Are you ok Alan", asked the nurse, to which I replied "I could think of better ways of spending an afternoon," which they both thought hilarious. When I was allowed off the table, the vast amount of liquid slopping around in my bladder meant very slow and painful progress to the toilet, and I only just made it.

Happy days!