Waiting time with Dr.Christou...interesting!!

Hi everybody,

As many of you already know my original surgeon was to be Dr.Christou. But after much research and waiting I decided to find someone else and that brought me to Dr.Garneau.

My referal to Dr.Christou was sent in August 2007 for a consult. I diligently call every year for an update as to how long I need to wait for a consult ( yes...even though I'm going with Dr.Garneau hopefully soon) I just want to see how long it will take.

As I am on vacation this week and plenty of time on my hands I called and I was told that I will be waiting at least another 2 years!!!!!!! That's over 5 years waiting for a consult. Interstingly the secretary told me that Dr.Christou and his collegue are not operating very much and that was due to not have operating time at the hospital.

I in turn asked her that wasn't the wait time suppose to be getting better with the millions of $$$ that the government has put into WLS? She told me they never got the money...that they are still waiting for it. She then said that once they do get the funds it will speed up the progress...

I don't get it...the funds were alloted for the WLS program...why don't they give this money to them? Why is it taking so long?

Your thoughts...

Have a great day my friends!!
Ada

My thoughts.... Dr Christou is doing privates surgeries at this clinic, and I think he is making more money that way than in the public system then he doesn't operate much at the hospital... Even if  the governement has put more money in the system, there isn't more doctors performing surgeries and many are going private, so that doesn't change anyhing. Maybe if more young surgeons were interested in those surgeries that will help... But I think the money had helped a bit, because at PierreBoucher, and at Laval the waiting list seems to be a little bid shorter than before...

Diane you are probably not off the mark with Dr.Christou's private clinic but that is not the only reasons. The governement is putting money in certain surgery types and to create clinics in every region. So guess what, the surgery type preferred and most cost effecient is lapband, then VSG as an out patient; but it is the lapband that is identified in the gouvernement's document. So if a the clinic doesn't do this type of surgery they didn't have the funding this time around. So that is why certain clinics got funding and not others and in my region the funding has not even arrived yet to start up the clinic. The city of Rimouski will be designated for my end of the province. What the gouvernement says and does is often different!
Ada, I would definately try another clinic as I heard that Dr.Christou is no longer taking in new referrals as he will be retiring before he gets a chance to operate them. If you don't mind travelling abit. I know of a girl from Montreal who went to ValD'Or Hospital for her surgery. Wait time was about one year including the consult. Dr. Brouillette(spelling???). He has been doing it for many years, has a good track record and the hospital has a good reputation from talking to my doctor colleagues. Just a thought in case it may interest you.