How do I request Biopsy slides

Hello everyone, wish you all had great weekend.

New question,

We will meet a surgeon at Cleavland Clinic. The staff there told me that we need bring biopsy slides (as many as possible) with us when we see the surgeon. So I called our urologist office, they told me that they don't' request that, i have to request from hospital pathology department by myself. so I called pathology department, no one answer the phone. I left message, haven't heard anything from them yet. seems not a easy task.

Is anyone had same experience? Do you need bring your biopsy slides with you to see the surgeon? how to request? from hospital or your urologist office?

Many thanks!

Jennifer

Thanks!

after bunch of phone calls, problem solved!

Thanks!

Jennifer

Jennifer -
Glad you got this accomplished. Under most circumstances (and for future inquiries), the Pathology Dept where the slides were originally read is the first, and hopefully last phone call. They are responsible for archiving the slides and tissue blocks, and have to keep track of where the slides are at all times. They will first want to know WHAT you want sent out. So, be as specific as possible (My prostate needle core biopsies from May 23, 2009 and the follow-up saturation biopsies from Aug 15th). Too often, someone says "all my pathology slides", forgetting that this may include a gallbladder removal or skin biopsy interpreted in the same lab 5 years ago Next, the Path Dept will want to know who they are sending the slides to (Dr. X at Cleveland Clinic), a mailing address, how soon the slides need to arrive (ie, US Mail or Fedex request). Ordinarily, glass slides alone are enough for a consultation visit. If you have some very unusual condition, the referral pathologist may also want a representative tissue block sent in order to perform additional immunohistochemical or molecular testing. If you anticipate that going into the consultation, it can save time to request that a representative tissue block be sent out with the glass slides. Under the best circumstances, this material should be sent at least 2 weeks ahead of your visit. This will allow for mail delivery, slide interpretation and reporting at the referral center. Then when you arrive for your visit, the consultant urologist already has the report from his/her Pathology Dept in hand and can discuss any discrepancies. If time does not permit, you can arrange to pickup the materials from the local Pathology Dept and take it with you. In that circumstance, you are responsible for safe transit of the glass slides and should not expect a confirmatory read until sometime after your appointment. The referral Path Dept will be responsible for returning the slides to the original lab, usually several months after the read. This delay is calculated to keep the slides in that department until afer your surgery, so that they can be compared with the final prostate excisional specimen. This is important if you decide to go to another referral center, because you will need to make sure that the slides get back home, logged back into the original lab, and then sent out again to the second referral center. In emergency circumstances, you can arrange for the first referral lab to Fedex the slides to the next, but that is frowned upon because now the origial lab has lost track of them.

I know, TMI.

Regards.

Doc

Thanks Doc! Lots of good information.

We just sent to John Hawkins for second option two weeks ago. Hopefully it comes back on time. the new appointment is next week. not much time. will follow up today.

You made me laugh, yes, fortunately my husband has been in a good shape always expect cracked his head couple of times when he was little, no gallbladder or skin biopsy.


goodlife, thanks for remind me traffic camera. it is good to know we need extra caution when driving over there. We will see Dr Jihad Kaouk. Hopefully he is the one. Who did you see?


Thanks

Jennifer

goodlife

Thanks for sharing your experience. This gives some encouragement to my husband for his decision. Hopefully he likes the doctor as well.

Thanks we'll keep everybody posted.

Jennifer