Hi Jeff, We enroll pediatric patients in the Bloodless Program here at Swedish Medical Center. I would be happy to discuss our Program with you.
Harriette Lober
Swedish Medical Center, Seattle
206 568-7027

Thank you, I will be calling.

Hi Jeff,
i just read that your daughter is due for a tonsilectony and would like to share our experience with you re. this procedure, as we were totally unprepared. Our son was operated on 5 weeks ago now and the original procedure went well. The surgeon responded well to a discussion re. bloodless surgery and the procedure itself was unproblematic. The problems started shortly afterwards as the wound kept opening, which resulted in 3 further surgeries resulting in a total of 4 within 3 weeks. The tonsils are located close to blood vessels at the back of the throat so sudden profuse bleeding and post-operative haemorrhage is a real risk after the original op in a Tonsilectomy. As our son had already been released home after the first 2 ooperations it meant a couple of mad dashes to our local hospital - fortunately its just over the hill. If you are further away you could be in trouble. The problem then is that you are faced with emergency surgery and reliant on the good will of the surgeon who just happens to be on duty re: blood. The last one we had was very unsympathetic to our viewpoint and reacted rather heatedly in the operating theater, while our son was lying ready for surgery and bleeding profusely. Fortunately all did go well and while i have no intention of wanting to worry you unduly (our son was extremely unfortunate) i write this along the lines of being 'forewarned is to be forearmed'. Removal of the tonsils is described as minor surgery which i too thought up until now: in hindsight i feel it certainly isn't. Our son was already 18 at the time of surgery which meant he signed his own consent forms so this may not be a help re. the legal aspect of a minor. Also we live on the continent, but i hope that our experience may in some way be of help to you. Regards and best wishes.

Thank you for sharing your son's story and your insights. I wish my daughter was not a minor, but she is and while I am sure this will all go fine, complications happen - like with your son. We're doing what we can to do all we can to insure the best results for our daughter. Thanks again.