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| - I recently faced an incredibly difficult decision with my Boxer Leo who has a thyroid tumor. My regular vet referred me to Dr Jha at AMSC. I went in for a consult, and not only is the facility absolutely spotless and beautiful, the most important part was that every single person on the staff was kind and helpful. I met with Dr Jha for the consult, who suggested we at least try to remove the tumor and at minimum biopsy it, considering my dog is showing no symptoms from this tumor and is in perfect health otherwise. A fine needle aspirate was not providing the fluid needed to test anything, so the only way to truly know what we were dealing with was to get in there. I asked that we do some imaging first, as I was a little hesitant to do surgery on him, considering he is almost 11 years old. And of course my skeptical mind starts to wonder, are they just in it for the money - etc etc. It stinks we have to think like that, but I have unfortunately been to other places over the years where I truly believe that was the first priority. So they had me come back the following day for an ultrasound, which was done by Dr Fryer. She was insanely pleasant to work with, both her and Dr Jha were there that day and both talked with me for a while afterward. Based on what they saw, they both felt there was a good chance we could get it out, but we had to act quickly. Dr Fryer was even kind enough to email with me for several days afterwards to talk through any questions I had. I was still hesitant at the thought of surgery, but I really wanted to do everything I could for him, especially knowing the alternative is that the tumor continues to grow in his throat until he will struggle to eat and breathe, at which point I would of course have to make the painful decision to let him go and ensure he doesn't suffer. I decided to get a 2nd opinion, just for some peace of mind. The 2nd place I went to had a very similar opinion, and also strongly suggested removing it. I made the decision to go ahead with it, but already knew if I was going to proceed, I was definitely going to have Dr Jha and team do it.
So yesterday was the big day. I was extremely nervous, Leo has still been so happy and energetic otherwise, even was all excited to go somewhere as we were leaving the house for surgery, which was very bittersweet. We arrived at AMSC, I asked to speak with Dr Jha before leaving just to go over a few things. He did tell me there could be issues that arise during surgery that would prevent him from getting the tumor out, but we owe it to Leo to at least try and find out for sure what we are dealing with. He answered all of my overbearing parent questions and concerns, and was very patient with me. He called me a few hours later to let me know when they were about to begin, he continued to reassure me that they treat every pet there as if they were their own. The surgery should have taken 2-3 hours, but about an hour or so later when the phone rang, I knew it couldn't be very good news. It was Dr Jha, and he informed me that there were unfortunately 2 massive blood vessels running through the tumor, and he suggests stopping the surgery, because we would likely lose him if he tried to cut them. He said Leo would be awake in another couple hours, and I should stop by to talk with him in more detail. When i met with him afterward, he even went so far as to show me pictures and video of the surgery so I could see exactly what they encountered. This obviously wasn't the outcome I had hoped for by any means, but I really do have to be so grateful that Dr Jha was experienced enough, careful enough, and compassionate enough to do the right thing. This ultimately resulted in them having to give me a very significant refund, and Dr Jha even called me back himself a little after I left to make sure they refunded me an additional amount as well. I thought that was really an above & beyond gesture for the doctor himself to follow up on. As much as I had really hoped for success, not even doctors can control what they will find once they get in there. So i just want to thank Dr Jha and the team at AMSC for their exceptional care, caution and compassion when taking care of my Leo. I know they really tried, and at least I have the peace of mind now that I did what I could for him. He let me take Leo home last night, instead of him having to stay overnight, since the recovery wasn't going to be as serious since the full surgery didn't happen.
So very long story short, even though I don't really have a happy ending to report for my case specifically, I would definitely recommend AMSC, Dr Jha, Dr Fryer, and the entire team there if you are ever faced with some difficult decisions or challenging medical conditions for your pet. I think the way they handled everything yesterday is proof that this is an honest and compassionate facility, and they will act out of what is best for your pet, and not for their bank account.
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