May have to change surgeons

I feel like my PCP and Surgeon's office is running me around in circles. ~_~ I cant begin to understand the justification for delaying this procedure when ALL of my testing was done and came back normal over a stupid letter. I feel like I am being pentalized because my former private practice PCP retired due to hikes in malpractice insurance and I didnt know until after it happened and have no idea how to get in touch with her to find out where my records while I was under her care went to ~_~.... I want this done. I want to be on the LOSER side... I am tired of waiting- and not even on insurance- i'm self pay. ~_~. Dr. Rehnke has a great patient relationship and history but I dont want feel like I am being run around anymore by one of his nursing staff.

If you feel that your level of care will be compromised in any way by your surgeon or his staff, than you owe it to your self to find another surgeon. But if you are considering leaving a good surgeon because a nurse is not getting back fast enough, you may want to reconsider. Make sure you carefully examin all of your options before you start the whole process over again with a new surgeon. Good luck, Steve

It can be very frustrating dealing with office staff, insurance companies and physicans and trust me I couldn't have things done fast enough. I do agree with Steve that you need to be confident with your surgeon and know starting out on this process it takes patience and positive attitude through it all. If you feel like something isn't right with your surgeon then by all means get out of there. However, if it is just office staff you are going to experience that I would think at some point no matter what surgeon you use. It is hard for us to keep in mind they deal with 100's of patients all wanting the same thing and they just have to keep the balls up in the air as much as they can. There will be human error for sure and I feel your pain but try not to let it stress you out to the point of wanting to change surgeons just because of the nurse or office staff unless there is a major problem. Hang in there it will all be worth it!

I wouldnt be frustrated if I hadnt had ALL of my pre-op testing done in April... then nothing. Then I call to check if they have everything, "Oh your bloodwork and ekg are out of date. Need to do it again..." ... rinse repeat April - Pre-op Testing May - Redo Pre-op Testing June - Re-redo Pre-op Testing ~_~ July - Re-re-redo Pre-op Testing.... Are we done yet? How many times do they need pre-op testing to come back NORMAL (other then cholesterol levels) before they give me a date ~_~. I am confident in the surgeon... it's just irritating that the office staff seems less then motivated to get this through.

Sorry to hear that you are going through this..it's not fun especially if you'e self -pay. Check with Patrice at Surgical Associates (352) 368-2828 and see what she can do for you..nothing wrong with checking other options while you waiting on what's going on with your situation. Best of luck to you!!

I can feel your frustration, But you need to have patients too! I don't agreed with the other posters here. I waited through two years of progression to receive my RNY. Marlene & the other staff are working with many patients and I know the feeling, You don't care of the others just yourself. There is a way through the State of Florida Licensing Board to get your old records from the Retired PCP. You need to research. Just because they retired doesn't mean your records are in the trash. They need to store them just like business records or they can go to jail. If at the last resort you might need to Judicially Supeona your records to your new PCP. But if you have a good new PCP they'll know how to get those records. And their not submitting anything to the insurance company till they have everything. If it's the letter from your PCP it's up to you to get it, not Dr.Rehnke's staff. You need to follow through even if it means camping out in the PCP's office and walking the letter to the surgeon's office. This is just my opinion as legally I can't advise without a retainer, Mike

I would hope this wouldn't hold up you date...since your previous ones have been normal...but stop getting the tests until you have a date. I know my surgeon wanted me to get a chest x-ray on June 12 for surgery on July 20th and I had to point out them that it would be expired by then. Then I was going to get it before I left for vacation and something told me to just wait and get it the same day I had to go for my pre-admit tests at the hospital...good thing I did since surgery was canceled. That I wasn't wasting money on tests. I am now not doing anything else for them until I have things SET! I have done everything else for them...it's time they do something for ME! Sarah

The issue comes to play that my PCP will not write the letter, and without a date the doctor that the surgeons office suggests wont write the letter... but the surgeon's office will not set the date. I know my responsibilities, and I have done everything I can to get them the information that's been asked for. What I cant understand is WHY I'm being run in circles.... PCP, "We wont clear you for pre-op without a precription from your surgeron." Surgeon, "We cant give you a date until we receive a letter of clearance so we cant give you a prescritpion for pre-op" PCP, "I dont know what to tell you, without it we cant help you." Surgeon, "I dont know what to tell you, without it we cant get you a date." Tell me how I'm suppose to fix this?

Please Note: I am self pay- they're not submitting anything to an insurance company. I have spent my entire life and most of the time still tending to everyone else's needs/wants. If wanting this process completed in a timley manner means that I do not care about all of the others who are struggling to get approved, then believe that. I am a very patient person... but when you have the above situation running you in circles for now going on 4 months it grates on that patients. ~_~

I see it as a PROBLEM with your Primary. Your doctor even without insurance needs to write a note/prescription of referal for you to go to your surgeon. It's legallities. Then a date can be set. Then your Primary needs to write a letter of Pre-Surgery Medical Clearence. If that's problem, you then will need to write your own letter and take it too them to put on the Primaries own Letter Head and have the Primary sign it. Does your Primary really want you to receive this surgery? I had one suggest it as soon as I started with him but when I got into wanting it his whole demeanor & thoughts changed, not wanting to grant me my wishes. I ended up changing Doctors for the fourth time in three years. And having to do the whole 6 month diet again as the bad one hadn't documented anything about my trying to lose weight while doing Weigh****chers for three years. There are others on this board who have gone through what your going through and have these letters you need. Maybe they'll see this and offer. If not ask those letters in a new post.