H.H.T. Patient Review of personal experience with Professor Richard Harvey E.N.T. Specialist. I have had a long history of visiting ENT Specialists with very mixed results. The reason is I suffer with a rare Medical Condition - Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), which has resulted in my having nose bleeds of varying frequency and severity throughout my life. HHT is a vascular condition in which arteries and veins in parts of the body are malformed and distorted. They are known as AVMs. Although rare in the general community, AVMs are common in people with HHT. I have had Electro Cautery and KTP Laser treatments by different ENT Specialists, however nose bleeding has continued to be a problem. These treatments provided spasmodic short periods of relief, but can inflict damage to the delicate nasal mucosa, as well as risking perforation of the nasal septum. I first attended Professor Harvey’s rooms in 2016 after a recommendation at a HHT seminar in Melbourne. Having an ENT Specialist who is knowledgeable and experienced, with significant successful results is very important. I would advocate that Professor Harvey is an extremely capable ENT Specialist in whom a patient can have great confidence. He is warm, friendly and welcoming as well as being very thorough. Professor Harvey’s careful attention to my HHT history and to details of recent nose bleeds, his calm and considered approach, as well as clear explanations of his findings on my nasal condition, made me realise he is the most capable Specialist to have ever examined my nose. I felt confident knowing I was in the hands of a specialist of extraordinary ability in terms of knowledge and experience, who has a very caring attitude toward his patients. He noted the frequency and severity of my bleeding particularly. His examination of my nose using a camera and screen was thorough and he noted troublesome telangiectases needing attention. Professor Harvey performed Coblation Septal Telangiectasia in September 2016 after which he visited me to enquire how I was feeling and what I could expect after surgery. The procedure certainly reduced my nose bleeding. However, in December 2016, I started having very severe nasal bleeding. In January 2017, I haemorrhaged uncontrollably from the nose on 3 separate occasions and was taken by ambulance to the A&E at a local hospital each time. The attending doctor packed my nose using “Rapid Rhinos” in both nostrils. After the third incident, the ENT surgeon at the local hospital wanted to perform an electro cautery on my nose, but I refused, as I had an appointment with Professor Harvey the following week. Professor Harvey performed a coblation and limited Septodermoplasty at Macquarie University Hospital on 9 February 2017. He was once again very concerned about everything going smoothly after the operation. He telephoned from overseas and asked if I had any pain, soreness or any other symptoms. I was able to assure him that I had some minor soreness and minor pain but nothing else. After 3 or 4 days everything settled down after I carefully followed Professor Harvey’s instructions. I felt confident I was on the way to making a full recovery. He confirmed this when I subsequently visited his rooms. I felt words could not express my gratitude to him for his magnificent work. Since having that operation my life has been transformed from someone afraid to venture out because I might experience a severe nose bleed, to a person who can lead a comparatively “normal” life. I am no longer continually fatigued and lethargic due to blood loss, able to do light exercise, work in my garden as well as attend educational classes. I do have some minor nose bleeding occasionally, however blood tests reveal that my haemoglobin levels are within the normal range. I should mention there are other “management factors” that help to limit my bleeding. These include: • Avoiding stressful situations • A more accepting attitude to having HHT • Limiting physical activities to manageable levels • Avoiding medications, beverages, and dietary items that have blood-thinning properties. I believe such measures help complement Professor Harvey’s good work and reduce incidences and volume of bleeding. These life-style changes require considerable self-discipline, but worth the effort. Recent studies undertaken by HHT researchers, with support from an organisation called “Cure HHT”, support the above statement. The link is: https://curehht.org - a very informative HHT educational site with a lot of useful, basic information as well as webinars and more advanced data. As there are a considerable number of people with HHT in Australia needing ENT specialists, I hope my experience is helpful in assisting them to source the expertise they need to manage this condition. I would recommend, with confidence, Professor Harvey as the most highly qualified and experienced ENT surgeon I have found in Australia.
Posted Date : 02/10/2019
Anonymous
WOW – absolutely amazing surgeon!!! I can not thank Dr Harvey enough for the what he has done for me, giving me my confidence back with a revision rhinoplasty/septoplasty. Not only is my nose aesthetically pleasing, I now have a functional nose that I can actually breathe out of. I am completely blown away by my results, it is exactly how I imagined my nose to look. After having surgery elsewhere 10years ago and being extremely unhappy with the results and going through a traumatic recovery, my anxiety was so high even thinking about having another surgery. When I meet with Richard his calm and confident nature instantly made me feel at ease and I knew I was going to be in the best hands. THANK YOU DR HARVEY!
Anonymous
Professor Harvey has given me my life back. Suffering for years with nose bleeds, Professor Harvey was able to pinpoint my issue. I had a lesion full of blood vessels. After treatment I regained my life back. No more nose bleeds and an ongoing exceptional continued care. I cannot speak more highly of Professor Harvey and his staff. They ho above and beyond and I’m grateful to them for everything they have done for me.
Anonymous
Richard has given me a new life! Prior to seeing Dr Harvey, I was suffering on a daily basis with extreme allergies. My first appointment with him made it even clearer how much I was suffering. They were not able to get a reading of my breathing as I was that blocked up! He prescribed with Acarizax (immunotherapy allergy drug).
A wafer tablet you place under your tongue daily. Each visit to dr Harvey, my reading scores were getting better and better! 3 years later and I’ve scored the best reading yet, close to a normal reading! Surgery was an option but I wanted to make sure I had stressed every other avenue and I am so glad I did! Thank you dr Harvey for allowing me to breathe, to not wake up in the morning with a sneezing attack and to just get on with life!
Anonymous
Outstanding and incredibly helpful surgeon. Very easy to deal with and has your interests at heart.
Anonymous
It is now more than 10 years since I was diagnosed with an olfactory neuroblastoma after being referred to Prof Harvey by another surgeon. From the first appointment (he arranged to see me on Anzac Day/Easter Monday before his departure overseas to speak at a conference) Richard has shown nothing but the greatest care and skill in treating my cancer. Receiving an unexpected cancer diagnosis is traumatic but Richard arranged all the pre-operation scans, tests and consultations with other doctors. He supervised and coordinated all my post op treatments, including radiotherapy and has continued to do so for the last 10 years. While Professor Harvey’s skills and professionalism are beyond question, his communication and people skills, including with my wife and family, are exceptional. Susan, Richard’s practice manager, has also been there every step of the way to help us along the whole journey.