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Misdiagnosis/treatme nt delayed

(4 Posts)
ronib Sun 10-Mar-24 19:08:46

I have recently had a 20 cm simple ovarian cyst removed with great skill by my surgeon. I am struggling to understand how quite a few male gps over the years diagnosed sciatica and arthritis and the growing ovarian cyst was not picked up. My problem just now is reconciling my amazing hospital care with the inability of gps - mostly male -to act at all. Even on discharge, the response of the surgery was underwhelming. Any thoughts?

Astitchintime Mon 11-Mar-24 06:41:17

That was some cyst........20cm in 'old money' = 8 inches! and I do hope you are making a good recovery from your surgery.

Sadly, your situation is more common than you think but, nevertheless, it is still wrong and shouldn't be happening, but still it continues.

Did you keep asking the GP's for a second opinion? If so, did those agree with the previous one in a dismissive manner? Do you have access to your GP medical records? By reviewing those you can read just what that GP recorded during the consultation at that time.

Finally, contact the GP practice manager and put your concerns in writing and personally, I would also make a face to face appointment with the senior GP, if it is a teaching practice he/she will need to know of any potential problems.

Curtaintwitcher Mon 11-Mar-24 06:48:22

I wonder how many lives have been lost because doctors prescribed drugs instead of doing tests? I know of at least two cases where a young person has died of cancer because they were fobbed off with more drugs instead of the true problem being investigated.

ronib Mon 11-Mar-24 08:24:29

Astitchintimethe last time I tried to explain some symptoms, I was fobbed off with 3 pages of exercises to help sciatica. And it seems to me that male doctors are less clued up on gynaecological issues. The feeling I have is that there’s a reluctance to send patients for investigative tests until the most obvious red flag happens.
I have spoken to the Practice Manager who said she would pass my comments to a female senior partner who was supposed to be phoning me on Friday. No one phoned.
Immediately after my 27 hour discharge from hospital, I was told to see a gp to stop my catarrh cough and coughing impedes internal healing. Even that was less than straightforward.
I shall wait for biopsy results before returning to the process if not contacted before.
My surgeon is making the case into a research paper and has full access to my notes. So just to say the hospital doctors seem a quantum leap forward so all isn’t completely useless in the NHS.