Advertisement

I saw your article dated 1/3/11 ( Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries). I am here to tell you that the problem you so well described is actually much worse.

First, I want you to know that Gerard Nuovo, MD has personally helped me with several medical issues over the years. Thus, it is from direct experience that I can tell you he is an excellent MD who goes the extra mile for all of his patients. His knowledge of medicine in general is profound, and this certainly applies to his specialty, Gynecologic Pathology.

A member of my family recently had a serious medical problem prompted by unnecessary surgery. As a mother, and grandmother, I want to be certain that all the women under my care get the best possible treatment from OSUMC. Thus, I was shocked and very upset to see public records that indicate that the majority of women who go to OSUMC for endometrial biopsy diagnoses get the WRONG diagnosis. Of course, this led to unnecessary treatments including surgery and powerful drugs they do not need. Even worse perhaps, I see it means that some women right now in Columbus think they have endometrial precancer/cancer but actually have a benign condition!

Who would go to a surgeon if he/she said they had no training in the area where you need surgery? No one in their right mind would. Yet, right now, OSUMC is using pathologists to diagnose the GYN Pathology biopsies who do not have any training in this area. They have no first/last authored papers in the field of GYN pathology. In comparison, Dr Nuovo has written two textbooks in the field, had 2 years of training in GYN Pathology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in NYC, and has authored over 100 first/last authored papers in the field. My God, how can this be allowed to happen, let alone continue!

I was told that another pathologist reviewed these images that came from the actual cases and agreed it is easy to see the misdiagnoses. What is going on here!!??.

As I indicated, a member of my family recently went through unnecessary surgery with serious complications. So, I am telling all women of central Ohio to PLEASE ASK FOR AN OUTSIDE REVIEW BY A GYN PATHOLOGY BIOPSY EXPERT if they within the last few years had such a biopsy reviewed at OSUMC. It may save them their life as no surgery is without risks. As women, we must understand that if a gynecologist tells us we need surgery, he/she is basing that on what the Pathologist said in his report. And it is our right to have those slides with our tissues reviewed by someone who specializes in Gynecologic Pathology biopsies.

Thank you,

Maxine O.