Dr. Leaving

Does anyone know why Dr. Scalia is leaving the Weight Management Center in New Orleans? I was there yesterday for some Lab work and the scheduler told some one on the phone he was gone and would not be back. Said his patients would be shifted around to new surgeons. He is not my surgeon and I was just wondering why he was leaving.

I hadn't heard he was leaving. Out of that whole group, Dr. Scalia was my favorite. And as far as I'm concerned, the best. The group as a whole has a very high complication rate. They do the RNY a different way than Surgical Specialists does and they handle complications differently. Dr. Martin did my LapBand and I had complications and problems until I had the darn thing out. I don't think my complications had anything to do with the surgeons; I was just one of those 2% whose body treated the band like a foreign body. I am much happier now that I have my RNY. But I knew better than to do it with them. After my band, my stomach swoll shut before they even did a fill and I saw the female doctor who told me to force fluids which now I know made me worse. This was a Friday. I called Dr. Martin all day on Saturday and Sunday and finally demanded the service call Dr. Scalia and he came and met me at the E.R. right away. Dr. Martin called me back on Wednesday claiming he just got the message. Funny how the service could find Scalia with one phone call but 20 to Martin didn't get to him.

I'm glad your doing better now. But now your scaring me, Klainer and Martin will be my surgeons.

I think they are the only choices on United. Unless you are willing to go out of network, you may be stuck with them. I'm not saying all their patients have complications but they have a higher complication rate. I would insist on meeting them before the surgery. While you are waiting in the waiting room ........ if they are like they used to be, you wait for hours, talk to the other patients and ask about their satisfaction.

Hi all, I am somewhat of a lurker, but I just started to see the LA board. I noticed on this thread that someone said that if you have United, then Dr MArtin is it. NOT I have United Healthcare, and I had a wonderfule surgeon, Dr Richardson at Ochsner. His staff is a very professional, wonderful group. I have had NO issues at all, I can eat all types of foods, and I have lost 73 pounds in 5 months. ( I have been on a plateau since....life getting in the way of the gym). I highly recommend Dr Richardson. You can e-mail me if you need info. All of the other surgeons that I looked at seemed like cattle calls, and especially Dr Martin's office . Not impressed. Anne