Question
Hi Diane,
I'm not a medical practitioner, and I've never known of a case where a doctor would not do the surgery, but I'll answer your question based on different situations that I have heard of. I believe that when a doctor either chooses not to perform the surgery or to delay scheduling the surgery, is because they feel it is not in the patient's best interest to perform surgery. This could be due to a myriad of reasons - a few I can think of are: 1) that the patient's weight is too great (this is especially applicable in laproscopic surgery where too much weight/fat can hinder access with the lap tools), 2) if the patient's physical health is such that surgery would place too great a strain on them or 3) possibly the patient's mental health is such that there is a question of whether they are mentally prepared to handle the surgery and its aftermath. Doctor's have to find a balance between doing the surgery (and the benefits derived therefrom) or to not do the surgery because the risks are too great. Each doctor's office has a set of procedures that they follow/tests that they require a patient to undergo to help them assess the patient and whether surgery would be immediately beneficial without too much risk. I hope I'm making sense and I hope I answered your question. I don't believe there is any 1 thing that we can all point to to say "oh they won't do the surgery on you because ...(fill in the blank)".
I hope I helped :-) Good luck on your consult :-)
All Drs have different criteria and different skill levels. It is as much in their bad interest as yours if the surgery doesn't go well. Some take a certain percentage of high risk cases per year. It is all very confusing but what it boils down to is that one may say no and another say yes but here is where you need to be careful because there are always a few bad apples in any bunch.
My experience was I spent yrs with a Dr who at the last minute said I was to high risk due to my lupus and revision which I had all along but then at least he suggest ed 2 other hospitals unfortunatly his is where my insurance covered and I had spent years trying to get that coverage and I finally did so now I was self pay. I didn't have it but my drs were saying without this surgery I would die so I was willing to take a chance. Luckily my family got the money together. Then I went to a wonderful Dr who said he wanted his OR team to have more experience as they were a new team and I was high risk . He also said if I didn't get the surgery to come back to him in a year and he would reevaluate me. I appreciated his honesty and he told me all of this in my first visit to his office. I was not strung along spending more and more money. Actually he was awsome he didn't even charge me for that visit. I knew in another year I would be too sick so I went to where he sent me St Agnes. Dr Averbach did everything possible to make the surgery safe and I am almost a year out and my life has changed beyond my wildest dreams. My health has improved so much. It is amazing. I would have been happy just being able to get up and move about but I have gotten so much more. I drive again. I shop for my family again. I got my independence back. It is amazing not to mention all the medications I have been able to stop going from over 20 to just 2. I could go on and on but I am late for an appt. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to write. This is a great group of people with lots of experiences to share.
Love Laurie
Optimum choice would not cover me either. They said, no way, no how, never, nyet. I was able to switch insurance plans about 6 months later, and Aetna covered me fully. If it is an option for you to change insurance companies, you might start a supervised, documented diet with your PCP now, since most of the insurance companies require 3 or 6 months of that anyway.
I applied for coverage with two other carriers and was told they would not cover me. Reasons being preexisting condtions and my weight. this is so un fair....I fought all the way to the insurance commissioner......they upheld the carriers..... I will do self pay......not happy about it....but I just want to be happy.
In the end, it will be worth it. Too many people do not understand that we do not do this lightly. This is not the "easy fix" some folks think it is. Who in their right mind would let someone rearrange their innards on a whim? And what idiot at Optimum Choice decided it was cheaper to keep paying for treatment of comorbidities than to fork over for the surgery?
Anyway, good luck with the entire process.
Sounds like you have been through the ringer too. I remember the hearings with the board of health and everything. They were very difficult and I felt very humiliated. It was awful. I am not sure where you are but if you can please come to the support group in crofton and there you can get alot of your questions answered. I will send you a message.
Have a great day.
Laurie
Most Active
Recent Topics
