Chronic HCV Not Candidate for Surgury?

[?!?help]

wondering if this statement is true or just a smokescreen.

I've had chronic HCV 20 yrs.  All my labs are normal and bx were good.  My back is a big problem and was told by a specialist I would likely need a diskectomy and laminectomy BUT he said I probably would not be a candidate for surgery because of my chronic HCV.

Is there a legitimate medical contraindication for back surgery for someone with chronic HCV or is this dr discrimination?

[Liv]

People with chronic COPD / respiratory problems are at a higher risk when given general endotracheal anesthesia for surgery however depending on the level of the proposed diskectomy you might be a candidate for spinal anethesia or a thoracic epidural.  With those types of anesthesia you will be numb but awake during the surgery thus eliminating some of the risks involved with having a "breathing tube" to put you to sleep.  I'd still ask your doctor however exactly why he or she said you wouldn't be a candidate for surgery.  Surgery and other procedures cannot be denied a patient based on a pre-existing condition of HIV, HEP B or C or any other infectious disease.  That's health discrimination and there are laws against it.  Best of luck to you.

[friole]

I don't think what your doctor said was legal.  I think he was just trying not have to treat you due to risk to himself.  I was to get a dental implant right before I decided to treat and to put it off.  When I told the oral surgeon, he said he would not do it anyway -- he said, no elective surgery when you have hep C.  I asked my regular dentist about this and it is not true and he has found me another oral surgeon when and if I decide on the implant.  

In your case, I think you need the surgery and there should not be an obstacle unless you do hve cirrhosis and a clotting problem
frijole

[?!?help]

Thanks guys for responding,  thinking I maybe heard wrong, the neuro talked so fast, it could very well be my respiratory condition that makes me not the ideal surgical candidate (have copd) don't need oxygen or anything but that may be issue.  

[pigeonca]

My hepatologist believes I contracted hcv at least 15 to 20 years ago, maybe even earlier than that.  In the past 15 years alone I've had three surgeries plus major dental work, not knowing that I had hep c.  All procedures were uneventful, and all incisions healed as they should.  

I imagine that thousands and thousands of surgeries are performed on people who don't know they have the virus.  If surgery were so dangerous for us, in today's litigous society, surely doctors would test for hep c prior to operating.  Since they don't test, I'd assume that surgery offers us about the same risks as anybody else might have.

[antman]

i don't think hep c is a factor whether or not to have surgery. however, the Dr. may be afraid he may screw up and catch it by infecting himself. this actually happened to me. i had surgery scheduled and at the last minute the Dr. cancelled it for fear of himself getting infected. i was so pissed. i went to another Dr., didn't disclose my hep c and had the surgery done. uneventfully i might add. some Dr's are just as ignorant about hep c as the general public.

[NYCMark]

Hepatitis C is not a contraindication for surgery. It all depends on your general state of health (heart, lungs, liver and kidney function etc). Do you have cirrhosis? Is your liver function OK? How about bleeding/clotting factors? Anemia? These are the things that determine if surgery is safe, not simply the diagnosis of Hepatitis C.

Mark

[willows]

Well, you might get better answers on the other board, even then, I don't see how any of us could tell you WHAT it was.  I know one of the issues with Hep C can cause clotting issues, perhaps you should do what we all have had to do at one time or another and seek a second opinion.  

Any doctor who would deny surgery simply because of Hep C is not a doctor I would even let take my temperature.  There are better doctors out there, some of us travel for long distances, just to insure we receive good advice.  Give it a try, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Willow

[Liv]

People with Hep C have all kinds of surgery and procedures.  Sounds fishy to me.