Successful Intervention with Flat Polyp and Journey with Polyps over 20 Years.

My story is one of success. First, my dad died of colon cancer in 1995 at the age of 78. I am now 70 years old. My story starts at about age 50. I was having a pain in my lower right abdomen. I went to the doctor and was sent for a Barium enema. Soon after I was told something was found. A colonoscopy was scheduled and 10+ polyps were found and removed. Compared to what I see today the polyps removed at that time were large. One that I passed at home was about the size of a small pecan. Another colonoscopy was scheduled for six months and was described as a clean-up procedure. Fewer polyps were found. The next colonoscopy was for two years. The colonoscopies over the next nine or 10 years was performed by a doctor in Roseville CA. After this 10 year period, I started to feel my doctor didn’t have a real concern for me and my health. I was just another patient. I then went to Doctor R in Folsom CA. I liked him. He seemed up to date on procedures, he seemed truly concerned about me and my health. After the colonoscopy Dr. R told me he had removed many polyps successfully but there was one flat polyp that he didn’t touch. He took pictures of the polyp, and identified the location. He suggested I go to the doctors at Interventional Endoscopy Services (IES) at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) or UC Davis. I asked the obvious questions of why he couldn’t remove the flat polyp and why the other two centers could remove them. He told me they have advanced tools and techniques. Doctor R did not touch the flat polyp during my procedure. Thank goodness he did not try. Next he suggested I go to the IES/CPMC. I took his advice and made the appointment with Dr. Binmoeller. This was lucky event (finding Dr. Binmoeller) in my journey with polyps. After my first colonoscopy with Dr. Binmoeller, he indicated he had successfully removed the flat polyp and removed 12 more. I have gone to Dr. Binmoeller each year for the last three years and I go back in March of this year. I now live in Portland OR and I travel to San Francisco for the procedure. I do this without a second thought. I know that the polyps are removed and when a flat one is encountered, I know I have best chance of having it removed successfully. Unfortunately, polyps continue to grow in me and I have to go back each year for a colonoscopy. Dr. Binmoeller has suggested that I be tested to determine if that I am missing the gene that suppresses the growth of polyps. He then suggested that my three daughters are tested also. Not that polyps can be prevented but that my daughters will be aware of the missing gene and can be aware and schedule colonoscopies to prevent polyps from developing and becoming cancerous. My last words, I have been lucky. Lucky in the sense that I was able to find Dr. R who led me to Dr. Binmoeller. Dr. Binmoeller is a God-Send for me. You just know he has skills beyond other doctors in his field of medicine. I realize Dr. Binmoeller has been showing his tools and teaching his advanced techniques to others, but Dr. Binmoeller has been the one who has added years to my life. After each procedure he sits down with my wife and me and talks to us for as long as we have questions. He doesn’t rush us. Something that has always bugged me was a question, i.e. will “C” catch up with me? He answered absolutely not, you just have to stay in front of it with colonoscopies as needed. He has a staff who shows a lot of respect and understanding for the patient. My advice to anyone who is dealing with colonoscopies and polyps is to make sure you have a doctor who understands the risks of removing flat polyps and what happens if they are not completely removed. The resulting scar tissue and the downside of living with a polyp that can’t be removed, and what might have to happen as a result, is a terrible price to pay when it can be prevented. In the event you ever have to deal with what I have been describing, I highly recommend Dr. Kenneth Binmoeller or one of the doctors at IES/CPMC in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Binmoeller has added years to my life and I am so thankful to him for this gift.