No Other Surgeons?? I'm Confused.
As I've posted before, I am still in the six month physician monitored diet and exercise part of my program. (I'm not very far along in my journey, as you can tell). I had scheduled a consultation with a surgeon(at the end of April), and when my husband and I went to the consultation, we sat in the waiting room for well over an hour. Finally I went and asked the receptionist why we hadn't been called, and explained to her that I had another doctor's appointment (with the endocrinologist) that I couldn't miss, and that I wouldn't be able to wait much longer.
The receptionist told me that we were waiting on everyone to arrive. I was confused, so she explained to me that they would get a bunch of patients into their waiting room and then lock the door. The doctor would then come in and talk to everyone, and then take patients individually (with their spouse) to his office and answer any more questions that the patient or spouse might have.
We waited as long as we could, and they still had not started, plus I knew that if we stayed for the whole thing, I would miss my endocrinologist appointment, so we had to leave. I was given a business card and told to call and reschedule my consultation by the end of June.
I called the surgeon's office a few minutes ago to reschedule the consultation, thinking I knew what to expect (this time). When I called, I asked if I could schedule with the surgeon that removed my appendix on May 22 (there are several surgeons in this practice), since he has already treated me for the appendicitis. (I've never met the surgeon that removed my appendix; I've only talked to him on the phone when he called me at home after the surgery to make sure that I was doing okay. When he was removing my appendix, I stopped breathing properly and my oxygen saturation dropped into the 50s. He made sure that I made it through the surgery, so I wanted to consult with him first, since I know that he knows what happened during the appendectomy, and would know what to do if it happens to me again.)
So, when I asked to be scheduled for a consult with him, I was told that there is only one surgeon in this city that will continue to preform bariatric surgery; that the other surgeons are no longer doing it. I was also told that I now have to go onto a waiting list, because instead of doing the consult in their office as described above, the hospital is holding seminars. (This is fine with me) I'm left wondering, though, why would all of the other surgeons stop doing the surgery? What happens at the seminar if I still have questions that I want to discuss privately with the doctor? The receptionist that added me to the waiting list couldn't answer these questions for me.
Can anyone tell me what these seminars are like, and what your experience was with asking the doctor questions at the seminar or if there was another individual appointment that you had in which your questions were answered. (I'm not trying to be nosy or ask what you asked your doctor, I'm simply wondering when I will get to ask him questions. I don't want to hop up on the table without first being able to get some answers. LOL)
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hugs,
Angel
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
~Mother Teresa
Never look down on somebody unless you are helping him up.
~Jesse Jackson
~Mother Teresa
Never look down on somebody unless you are helping him up.
~Jesse Jackson
I went to a seminar in April the doctor that does the surgery is there . He explains the whole surgery in detail and has some people there that are about 4 months out to tell their story they show films of befores and afters and also a walk for those who have lost to show their selfs off in formal wear (on film) Then he answers Questions you might have concerning surgery not Insurance . they give you a couple of forms to fill out and make a copy of your Ins card. At the end you will be able to make your Appointment with the doctor. This was doctor Miles seminar . They informed us that when you are seen for the first time you won't see the Doc, but he will sit down with you before surgery and answer your Questions. Hope this helps !
First of all, congrats on your decision to have WLS and your perserverance for going thru the 6mo diet...I don't think I could have made it, lol. My surgeon also has a Consultation Seminar, where everyone meets together as a group, general guidelines are covered, then you are put into an individual exam room where you get to talk one on one with him and/or his surgeon's assistant. His other office staff is also nearby and ready to answer all your questions. Saying that, I have no problem with the "group meeting" -- what would bother me, in your case, is the fact that they expected everyone to wait til everyone got there before they started. I find that just plain rude. Your time is valuable, just as valuable as the surgeon's. If I were you, I'd seriously consider looking for another surgeon. Good luck! lisa
Angel,
I don't know how each M.D. does their seminars now for I went to them 5 years ago...but, I attended 3 before deciding I WANTED to have gastric bypass and WHO my surgeon would be. I SPOKE my questions LOUDLY and CLEARLY during the seminar Q&A time of the seminar. I asked each M.D. how many patients they had lost...YES, DEATH, I wanted to know how many they had to die on them as patients. I wanted to know how many people THERE at the seminar were their patients (so I could SEE results). I TALKED to the M.D.s AFTER the seminars ONE on ONE to get a "feel" of what each was like. BEFORE I LET ANYONE OPEN UP MY INSIDES I WANT TO GET TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN HI & BY!!! That's just my feelings though...
R. c
on 6/9/08 11:02 am, edited 6/9/08 11:03 am - nashville, TN
on 6/9/08 11:02 am, edited 6/9/08 11:03 am - nashville, TN
I attended a seminar in February with Dr. John Touliatos and Dr. Scott Pennington. This was held at Trinity Hospital and I think they do them twice a month. This seminar was in a group setting, but there was a definite starting time. We didn't just sit around and "wait on others to show up." I have to say, that was disrespectful of your time!
Anyway, after the surgeon does his presentation and explanations, there is an opportunity to ask questions. At the conclusion of the seminar, you then make an appointment for your individual visit with whichever doctor you would like to use and you can ask your doctor additonal questions then. You have a choice of where to see the doctors - either at Carraway or Trinity.
That so far as been my experience. Hope that helps! 
~* Rosie *~ 2-16-10
Thank you all so much for your replies. I now have a roundabout idea of what to expect at the seminar. Since he is the only surgeon near here that will continue to preform gastric bypass, I've decided to attend his seminar and see what I think. If I like the way he does things, and I like how much experience he has, his personal mortality rate for patients...etc, I'll pray on it, and then I might choose him to be my surgeon. However, if there is even one doubt about his ability or my safety in my mind, I'll be looking for another surgeon...even if I have to go to another city to find one.
However, I did think that it was very rude that we were made to wait on the others that still had not shown up after two hours of waiting the last time that we were in his office. I think that there should have been a definite start time, whether everyone was there or not. After that experience, I wanted to switch surgeons. I didn't want someone working on me that does not respect my time, but now I am told (by the receptionist at his office) that he is the only surgeon in the practice (there are 7 doctors in the practice) that will continue to preform bariatric surgery- I'm not sure what the rest of the surgeons are going to do now. To my knowledge, this practice is the only one near here that has surgeons that preform bariatric surgery.
Again, thank you all. I really appreciate it.
Hugs,
Angel
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
~Mother Teresa
Never look down on somebody unless you are helping him up.
~Jesse Jackson
~Mother Teresa
Never look down on somebody unless you are helping him up.
~Jesse Jackson
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