My husband went in for an endoscopy and the GI said ‘everything looks great’. He went in due to some episodic heartburn… the doctor didn’t even mention that he was taking multiple biopsies… then I call the office and they tell me ‘oh, there was intestinal metaplasia found but don’t worry, he’ll just have to come in for a repeat endoscopy in a year’… Now, I fully acknowledge that I have a huge anxiety problem but just by doing some basic on-line research, this sounds like a pretty serious issue. The doctor didn’t even have the decency to call me back, he was supposedly rushing to a hospital emergency so he had his medical assistant call me. I start asking all kinds of questions and she literally just tells me like I have an intelligence of a third grader - ‘there are some cell changes but he has 30 years of experience and he says to just come back in a year’. So I have a few questions - had anyone here been diagnosed with the intestinal metaplasia of the stomach and if so, what did you do? Needless to say, we’ll be scheduling an appointment for a second opinion with another doctor.
I just find it almost unbelievable that a GI doctor with so many years of experience would handle something like this with such cavaliere attitude. Needless to say, I am beside myself with worry about all this. Does anyone here happen to know of a good GI doctor in Philadelphia area who possibly specializes in this condition?
Thank you.
Emily.
Emily - I don’t have any specific answers, but having been through some medical procedures in the past months that involved biopsies, I do think that (many?) doctors do lose the ability to think of how the patient is processing all of the medical information that the doctor is providing. And also, I am sure different patients process information differently, some wanting all of the information up front and others not wanting much information at all.
I would have your husband call on Tuesday and ask that the Dr. please give him a call to discuss his findings.
Obviously the Dr. Is not at all worried so that is great news.
@Emily0722, I am not a doctor, but I am a nurse in an endoscopy clinic.
When a patient undergoes an upper endoscopy, biopsies are always done, because there are conditions which can be present which are not visible to the naked eye. Most likely the fact that biopsies would be done was stated on the consent form your husband signed.
As to the diagnosis: Was the IM noted in your husband’s stomach, or only in the esophagus? When IM is found in the esophagus, it is referred to as Barrett’s Esophagus. People with Barrett’s Esophagus are at higher risk of esophageal cancer than those who do not present with Barrett’s. That does not mean that they are at a HIGH risk of esophageal cancer. In fact, most people with Barrett’s never go on to develop cancer. Additionally, in those who do go on to develop cancer, it usually occurs over a period of many years. Hence, coming back in a year is a prudent thing to do so that they may observe if any subtle changes have occurred in the tissue since the last time. The fact that the doctor saw no visible signs of Barrett’s esophagus in his examination leads me to believe they have noted this very very early in the process. We see a lot of patients whose Barretts has progressed to visible pathology, and even then, most of these patients remain cancer free. Therefore, while your husband should be compliant with the treatment plan, there is no reason to panic or view this as anything currently “serious.” I know less about IM in the stomach, but I do believe that it is similar in many respects to Barrett’s.
If medication was prescribed for your DH’s acid indigestion, he should take the medicine as prescribed. If he smokes cigarettes, he should absolutely quit smoking. If a bacterial infection such as H. pylori was discovered by the biopsy, that should be treated as well.
All this said, your husband is entitled to a thorough explanation of the doctor’s findings. Your husband (not you) should place another call to the doctor to clarify the diagnosis, treatment plan, discuss possibility of reversal of this condition, etc. He should have a paper with questions written on it when he speaks with the doctor so that he won’t forget them.
Try not to give in to anxiety. There is every reason to believe that your husband is in no imminent danger whatsoever from this condition.
@Nrdsb4: What a helpful answer.
Thank you very much @Nrdsb4. He has IM of the stomach, not esophagus.
@Emily0722 I just came across this board and my husband was just told he has IM of the stomach. I am super worried just like you and was curious if you got anymore answers. The GI that did our endoscopy was not very detailed and seemed very nonchalant about it. We are seeing another GI doc this coming Monday. Needless to say, I am having trouble sleeping. Please share what your second doc said and what are the next steps they recommend. Thank you