Hello,

I'm new to this forum. It is a great place for information, I thank all of you!

I would love to get a little advice/thoughts about what I should do regarding my Papilloma.

History: About 1 year ago (Dec 2004) I noticed a little white 'growth' to the right of my uvula and in front of my tonsil. I 'watched' it for the next year and finally brought it to my Dr.'s attention when I noticed a marked change/increase in size from 2mm to 4mm. I was referred to an ENT who immediately diagnosed Papilloma caused by HPV. He suggested it be removed by surgery under a general Anesthesia (due to location and Gag reflex). This all is very logical and I agree with the ENT, my wife has HPV and this makes sense to me. Surgery is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2005.

Current Situation: Since I saw the ENT (approx 4 weeks ago) the 'wart' has gone away, literally last week. At the site, I can see a very small, raised area that appears healthy pink, but still a little raised. I'm afraid that I will go into surgery with nothing to remove. (that's a good thing, by the way). I called the ENT and was told that we should still go forward with the surgery.

Question: Should I still have the surgey? If I remove a Papilloma, the virus is still present, won't it just come back? The papilloma appears gone, so is it worth it? The pathology seems to be the bigggest incentive, that may be reason enough. I'm not scared of surgery etc..., but don't like the idea of going under general anesthesia unneccesarily. Also, the cost is all out of pocket for me. I have no problem spending whatever it takes, I just don't want to be wasteful.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

My advice is to get a second opinion from qualified physician who has examined you and knows your history.

I just went through something vaguely similar with an HPV wart on the side of my tongue, but I could not generalize from my one case, or pretend to know your particular history.

HI,

I AGREE WITH RON...GET A SECOND OPINION...I HAD THE SAME THING REMOVED IN PROBABLY THE EXACT SAME SPOT...AND I DIDNT GET GENERAL ANTHESIA...GEEZ...THERE ARE MORE RISKS WITH THAT THAN THE SURGERY ITSELF OR THE WART BEING THERE!!

ALSO, YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK A WEBSITE THAT DEALS WITH HPV INFECTION, IT IS VERY GOOD AND GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENS AS TIME PROGRESSES...

MOST PEOPLE CLEAR THE VIRUS WITHIN A YEAR...AND WILL TEST NEGATIVE WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS...

THE SITE IS http://hpvsupport.com HOPE IT HELPS!

JO

Thanks for your responses. Sorry for getting back so late (I have limited Internet Access).

Jo, you touched on my concerns, (clearing up in a year anyway & the risks of the surgery under a general). So...I decided to "postpone" surgery pending another consultation. Will update then (not until mid December).

I was told that the warts can spread and usually go "down" the throat and like the voice box area. When this happens, one would speak with a strained voice. I wonder if this spread occurs while warts are present & visible or not. Otherwise why remove? Would be like the Dutch boy and the Dyke, would never be able to chase it down.

Anyway, those are my thoughts around this and it is always good to bounce them off of others. I'll check out the other forum you referenced.

THanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sgm50,