Hi Marjorie,

So sorry to hear the results. Did they give you a written response? Can you post it?

Frances

Hi Marjorie,

Hahaha. Think they are trying to intimidate you by any small chance?????? Well don't give up. You are a trouper and although you are at the forefront, you are only the begining MANY people who will trudge the road you are on thus helping to change the beliefs of the medical establishment one doctor at a time - if need be.

Unfortunately despite the fact that no studies to prove their position, NICE clarifies their understanding of NA by stating, '...using a blade or a bevel of a needle...' and.... you doctors will certainly use it in their favor. So my friend, you must prove NICE wrong as well. Nasty business.

After I wrote out my response, I realize that I am assuming 1) a 'stitch cutter' is the same as a blade and 2) stitch cutters were designed for uses other then stitch cutting.

Hmmmm...Have I just stumbled upon the hole in their argument???? Are stitch cutters SUPPOSED to be used for anything other then stitch cutting???? What are they designed for? What does the manufacturer say? Is it possible this form of NA is not widely used because it is dangerous?! *big grin*

Hope this helps and God Bless,

Frances

Hi again Marjorie,

Sorry that this is the third post since you put up the letter - my mind works in starts and stops sometimes.

In my orginal response I used the word 'dangerous' flipantly, but is it possible that I hit the nail on the head? Here are my rambling thoughts...

How many doctors perform this procedure in all of England? The world? Why so few? Not accepted? Has it been studied? Why not? Doesn't that make it experimental? What constitutes experimental? Would this procedure be accepted by all *hospitals* in England or would it be refused by some? Why? Has it been refused? Is there paperwork to go with that? What does your college of hand surgeons say about it?

Moving along in thought....

What sort of results does this produce with all the ripping? Is that documented? If the criterian for eligible is age and medical status is that because the procedure does not produce results that are acceptable on hands that *have to earn a living*? Is that why this is done only on seniors? Is the end result only good enough to hold a coffee cup? I know that my words sound sinister but seriously, if this works, why isn't it being shouted from the roof tops like we have with our own beloved NA?

Are there malpractice lawsuits surrounding it? How many? Is that a significant number given so few of these procedures are done a year? Is there a patient who is willing to talk about what happened to them? Is there a surgeon who is willing to speak about it? Or...can you bring one of the NA doctors over to speak on the difference? Ok, that last one was a little expensive, I think big. *grin*

Is there a surgeon in England who has had to repair hands that received this procedure? Is the doctor who performs it under review by their governing body? If 'yes' why?

I know these are hard questions but when reading the info on the stitch cutter I was pretty shocked. Things like... those cutters that I saw are the actual size and no, they are not meant to be attached to a handle. You hold the end of the blade in between your thumb and index finger. What you see is how you use them. I don't see how they could be controlled when used for ripping tissue with any sort of consistency from patient to patient. Contacting one or more of the manufactures and getting a response on on the use of stitch cutters might prove useful when presenting your case. There are pamphlets that are downloadable but an letter and contact name might be more pointed.

Sorry I have thrown so much at you, but I'm hoping that there will be at least one thing in there that you can work with. I don't know the procedure and politics of your system of appeals works.... so you got it all.

If there is anyone else out there who is reading this....and can think of more...please post.

Thanks,

Frances

Hi Marjorie,

I know you were not referring to the seem-rippers used for sewing - sorry I didn't write my thought out clearly. I was just trying explain that different types of blades have different strengths depending on their use....unfortunately it confused you. When I made my posts it was because I had googled the term 'stitch cutter' to find out what you were talking about....that's when I got a picture/explanation of the *medical* tool that is called 'stitch cutter'.

Make a cup of tea, google 'stitch cutter' (of the medical variety), have a real good look at what those beasties look like, then read my posts over again. ....it is because of the way the medical stitch cutters looks like that I posted the way I did. Read the info carefully the stich cutter....for example...the page I was on had medical stitch cutters posted *to scale* and emphasised that they did not require handles for use. No explanation was given for the differences in quality/strenghth of the steel used in a surgical blade that is used for cutting vs the steel used to make a stitch cutter (they are probably not the same). At no time did they say the stitch cutter was to be used for anything other then removing sutures.

I hope I have not freaked you out. Don't get anxious if the timing is off....there will be others behind you who trudge the same road....but hey will have your posts and experience to guide them.

Frances

Hello everyone
I congratulate all those who are fighting to get NA actually available here in the UK. I have tried everything from my MP to the PCT, all to no avail. They tell me it is available in the UK but do not give any names! Also I think they are not aware of the difference between basic fasciotomy of the palm used for elderly patients and the intricacies of NA used in the finger joints. What are we to do? It is nearly 2 years since it was approved in this country and we are no further down the line.