Dr. James Crawford?

[TK]

Hello Friends!

This is my first post to this forum.  I am feeling overwhelmed and a little hurried to make a decision and take care of this.  I was recently diagnosed with my AN last October, it is growing and I am now seeking treatment options.  One doctor I am considering is Dr. James Crawford.  He recently moved to Boise, ID and is working in a new clinic here.  Prior to that he worked in the Madigan Army Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital, and St. Joseph Medical Center.  If anyone has been treated from him, I would appreciate your feedback.

Thank you!

[Director]

Hi TK,
  Welcome to the forum. I want to reassure you that you are right to get opinions from other patients and that you should take time to get multiple opinions from more than one physician about your treatment options. There are many centers that will help you to set up phone or skype calls with their doctors. We have a downloadable list of questions which may be helpful on the ANA website, and you can contact us for a patient kit or for any information you need.
Best regards,
Allison Feldman, CEO, ANA
director@ANAUSA.org
www.ANAUSA.org

[notaclone13]

Hi TK, and welcome.  Are you inclined to get get it removed by surgery or is radiation an option for you? It will depend on your age and the size of your tumor.  The doctor you mention did a fellowship at the famous House Clinic in California. Obtaining a fellowship at a famous place like House Clinic is no easy feat. It is quite a competitive process, so it is likely he did quite well in med school and in his residency.   But it is difficult to know how much experience he has is treating ANs unless you ask him.  On his Health Grades page (https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-james-crawford-yr4yc) he lists  "acoustic neuroma removal including hearing preservation techniques" as one of 11 procedures he performs. The best thing to do would be to meet him, ask the appropriate questions as Allison suggested, and get a feel for his bedside manner. It is important to feel comfortable with and have trust in the doctor you choose for treatment.

[TK]

Thank you for taking time to find the data and your feedback on Dr. Crawford!  The details of your research are very helpful. 

I live in Boise, ID and am 53, and my tumor size is/was 1.6mm as of May 2018, and it is growing.  I have <20% discernment in the AN ear.  I have 88% discernment with hearing loss in my other ear as well, due to Meniere's. 

My ENT (who was also trained at House) suggested surgical removal via the translabyrinthine approach, because it is safest and he feels the hearing loss is so great the benefits of trying to save the hearing that's left isn't worth the risk of a different approach.  I got a 2nd opinion from Dr. Friedman at UCSD, and he said the same thing.  My hearing is pretty stable in my right side (the Meniere's side), so Dr. Friedman thinks the Meniere's could be "burned out" by now (I'm praying for that).

I'm also working on getting an opinion from Dr. Slattery at House as well. 

I'm planning to meet with Dr. Crawford soon, to get his advice and details of his experience.  He just moved here to Boise, ID from Washington, where he practiced in military hospitals.  He has 20 years of experience.  My ENT said he would suggest I go to House for the surgery if Dr. Crawford were not here; but he has joined my ENT doctor in his new clinic.  The clinic, idahoear.com, says they are the  only dedicated solely to the Otologic and Neurotologic conditions in the state.  This sounds wonderful, it would be nice to have the surgery in my home town. 

How many surgeries per month or year are considered enough to have adequate experience when considering a doctor?

Even if I feel good about Dr. Crawford, I still have questions about the local hospital's staff, practices and technology as well as anyone who would assist him in the surgery.  He would be new in working with others here and new in working in the hospital here.  Would you say these are valid concerns?

Any of your thoughts would be helpful.   

[CHD63]

Hi TK .....

It is good that you are doing your homework/research before making your decision.

One thing to keep in mind:  normally AN removal surgeries are done by a team, involving both the otolaryngologist and a neurosurgeon.  Typically the ENT does the entry to get to the tumor and then the neurosurgeon takes over for the actual tumor removal.  Not all practices do this, but I know House does this, as well as Friedman/Schwartz at UCSD.  Therefore, you need to know whether both physicians have had good specific experience in AN removal.

Best wishes.

Clarice

[notaclone13]

I also agree with you  that the experience and expertise of the hospital staff is important.  Seems to me everyone who has had surgery at House raves about well they are cared for there. You want hospital staff that is well trained in taking care of patients after brain surgery. Not sure how you can find out how well the hospital staff functions in that capacity. But post surgical care is important.

[Sundragon]

I am also in Boise, ID and have recently been diagnosed with AN. I have been referred to Dr Crawford as well for my first consult. Any update on how your consult went? Any tips or suggestions?

Thank you in advance.