BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON NEEDED

I need you! Approved by BCBS of Georgia, waiting on a surgeon, my surgeon that started this process with me loss his office space and the hospital where the surgery was primarily done is no longer available for the next three to four years. Of course, I have made all necessary efforts to contact my surgeon or any team member. By phone, I am only able to speak with one team member's cell phone, without any assistance to what I might be able to expect. Yeah, I was excited, happy and in controll of what my future would be, today I am unsure, I loss the support that this team said they would offer! Can you or your staff help me? I have completed the first part and hope someone as a medical professional will take this opportunity to assist me. I need a medical professional to request additional time (post Katrina) to my insurance carrier so that I get this once in a life time opportunity to help myself. I am emailing my Insurance Carrier also today.

Have you looked into a new surgeon? Are you planning on waiting for the prior one? The reason I ask is that my surgeon is accepting new patients, and is at Ochsner... as for insurance help, I dunno what to tell you... I'm having to fight my own insurance via a self funded program, and I am a medical professional (bariatric postop care nurse). Good Luck!

SO sorry, forgot to include the contact info for the surgeon. As a bariatric nurse he's the only one I would personally trust to do my surgery Dr. William Richardson at Ochsner. Nothing against any other doctor... but I wouldn't have anyone else, not even his partners, do the RNY on me, just because of how extremely experienced and skillful he is... and if you've got coverage, and testing is done (and you can get results) they move fairly quickly I'd have already had my surgery back in November, had I gotten an approval from insurance without a fight.... and my first visit with him was September 21. Kat

okok duh, chalk it up to eagerness about my own surgeon and my hopeful date. You can contact him at (504) 842-3000 and ask for Dr. William Richardson, general surgery department. He's the head of the laparascopic surgery department and VERY VERY good. I've seen his work firsthand, and see how few of his patients have complications, except of course those who don't follow the postop program right. He does lots of revisions too, cleaning up the "mess" made by other surgeons He's very very skilled.

Hey, I know my doctor who is Dr Lavin takes BCBS of Ga and he has an office in Covington and one on the south shore too. The # for the Covington office is 985-234-3000 if you call then they can give the # for the south shore office. I have all the trust in world in dr Lavin he did my surg on 8/16 and Ihave had no problems at all. Dr Lavin also did my sister in law a year ago and she has had no problems either and she is down 115 pounds so far. Email me if you want ok Take care Chrissy

I highly recommend Dr. Thomas Lavin also. He is very good. He did my surgery and most of my friends' surgery with no complications. Lynn J., lap RNY 9/29/04 -155 lbs.