I was diagnosed 5 years ago after 1.5 years of searching for why my liver count was 5 times normal. I went to a Denver GI that did 3 procedures (ultra sound, MCRI, ERCP) with only saying he couldn't get in on the ERCP. Each procedure he too 30 days to give me results. After NO results, I went to Scottsdale May Clinic. That GI doc did a biopsy, saying that was the only thing that wasn't done. It came out OK, and that GI said that once in a while they see someone like this and they didn't know why....no diagnosis, recommendation, or referral. I found a "new to our area Internal Med. doc" who had been 17 years at JH, and he knew a doc that he said "always gets in on ERCP." The JH doc reviewed my records and told me over the phone that he knew what my issue was. I traveled from CO to JH to have him do the ERCP, and he put a stint in (removed in 30 days) and gave me my diagnosis. That was 5 years ago and my Internal Med doc is gone and no physician I have made contact with since my JH doc knows anything about PSC. My JH doc said that I need to get to a university hospital group with someone that can treat my very special disease. Based on my prior experiences, I am concerned about going to another doc that has not been highly recommended like my JH doc was. I have an appointment with a Hepatologist hospital group at the U of CO. Does anyone know anything about this group? Can anyone recommend a doc in the Phoenix or Denver areas that they know to be skilled and experienced with PSC?
I recently had an appointment with Dr Burton at the U of C Hospital and he was VERY knowledgeable and helpful, far more so than the regular GI I had in Denver. About three weeks ago I had an ERCP with Dr. Bauer, also there at UCH and he was able to get into places where the doc who did my first ERCP was not able to. No complications and I was back to work in 48 hours.
Bottom line, if you’re in the Mountain West I can highly reccomend both of those physicians.