Visceral Myopathy

  I have searched far & wide for a physician who has actually treated visceral myopathy, a diagnoses I received several years ago from three major hospitals.  I live in the Chicago area, and have recevied not a single referral by any of dozens of physicians who have treated me.  Is there anyone in the US or Canada who has treated the disease?  Thank you so much for your assistance.
Dear R. Goulding,
As you are well aware,  visceral myopathy is a disorder that falls under the category of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. In this group of disorders, the presence of ineffective intestinal propulsion and intestinal obstruction occurs in the absence of an occluding lesion of the intestinal lumen.
Since it is a rare disorder,  I would imagine that only a handful of gastroenterologists have experience in managing this disorder. The way I approach these situations is to look at standard textbooks and recent literature to get an idea of who is researching this area. In the most recent edition of the GI textbook Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, the chapter devoted to chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is written by Michael D. Schuffler, M.D. He is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and Chief of Gastroenterology at the Pacific Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. It may pay to contact his office for an appointment or for further information. Good luck to you.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
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