Eric Pinnar Moved to FL????

Eric Pinnar did my surgery in February 2010 after rave reviews from a friend about him and the practice.  Met another good friend while taking pre-op nutrition class.  Haven't been into the office in a little while as I got pregnant and have a good level of restriction - OB says I'm good to go.  Found out from my nutrition class friend today who went in that Pinnar took off to Florida in February to work for a new practice, and that a majority of the staff is gone too!! 

Does anyone know what is going on?  Or what this means for self-pay people who still have a year of pre-paid maintenance??  I made an appointment for next week to go in and touch base even though i dont need an adjustment, but wanted to know if anyone else knew anything.  I'm kind of shocked that we didn't get any emails or anything, letting us know about the change.  My friend that was in there today said that nobody really seemed to have any answers. 

Thanks for any info anyone might have. 

-McMoo

It could mean that he sold his practice.  

Sorry to hear about him selling his practice. I really liked him and his father when they were together. I had signed up to have surgery paid my fees and then they split. I asked around to find out why but didn't get any straight answers so I walked away from the drama and started looking for another surgeon. That's when I found Blue Point and Dr Moazzez. While there last week for my followup they received several calls from Pinnar patients wanting to be seen.

Caroline, obviously he sold his practice - this was not in question.  The fact that he never bothered to TELL his patients that they would no longer have access to the surgeon who performed their surgery is the first issue.  The second issue that I personally have with Dr. Pinnar's practice is that many of his patients are self-pay, we paid for 2 years worth of adjustments, and I am only 1 year into this - it is clear from the state of the current office - a sleep doctor and investors who purchased it and the 3 staff members (2 front desk, 1 PA all looking to leave) that the office is disintegrating before my eyes.  Soon patients will have not only no one familiar to see at Dr. Pinnar's for routine adjustments but no one at all AND they will have to pay out of pocket for expenses that *should* have been covered by the self-pay.

I got a generic letter from him dated February 29, 2011 today in the mail. It explains the wonderful opportunity that came up for him in Jacksonville and suggests several surgeons who will see his patients. The icing is that he will provide copies of your records for free. Mighty nice of him. Anywho might have meant more if it had been mailed in February or March. Nope mine was dated April 21, 2011. Guess in the hurry to leave someone forgot to mail them.

Yea - well... aparently there's nobody in the office anymore to do adjustments or anything.  Last I heard, Phil got the boot.

Dr. Greene is on board to help anyone who needs emergency-care or anything.... if you can get up to Rockville.


yeesh. What a Mess. 

I had an appointment with Phil Cohen on March 29 and got told that strangely "he wasn't in. We don't know if he will be in today."  THEN I got a call later...telling me he would not EVER be in and I could come in for a freeby with some nutritionist.  I had JUST starting using this practice to try to get my lap band working again because it has not in 3 years.  So I said screw them.  I liked Phil Cohen a bunch and he did a decent fill on me the first time I went, but I needed another one and they jsut left me in the cold.  it's like the Pinnar just said yeah...screw you.  So no, I am getting a revision (hopefully) with Doctor Anez.  I got the letter that Pinnar was leaving in an email and then two weeks later in a mailed letter.  What a terrible way of handling all this.

Eric Pinnar also performed my surgery in 2009, I too was self pay.  My adjustment period has since expired, though I had wished to continue to go to AWLS. 

After discovering the practice had been sold and that everything essentially has fallen apart at their office since, I have been trying to locate an office that will accept Pinnars patients as well as get copies of medical records.

I was hopeful when I received an email that Phil was trying to open a place to help patients with adjustments, but have since learned that it appears Dr. Mercia (sp?) - Sleep Heart/Afterband threatened legal action if Phil continued.

I filed a complaint since no one would bother to respond to my requests for records and Afterband essentially told me "that if I didn't want to be treated at their office, then they didn't have my records."  I've since received bits and pieces of my records.

I contacted Robert Pinnar's office in hopes of being able to be adjusted there.  I emailed the information they requested a few weeks ago.  I've yet to hear back.

This morning I contacted Bluepoint Surgical Group and now have an appointment for next month (which is alot better that the pile of nothing I had previously). 

It was refreshing to hear understanding from the kind lady I spoke to about getting fills/care at Bluepoint's office (very much unlike Robert Pinnars office).

So I guess I'll see how this goes.  I'm with everyone else in their disappointment and feeling of abandonment caused by the way we were all dropped by E. Pinnar without any real means to get care.

I had to respond to all of this.  I *didnt'* have Dr.Pinnar do my surgery.  I had an appointment time, but before I met him the nice lady in billing explained to me that I had been told incorrectly,.... my insurance wouldn't pay.  I knew there was no way I could pay the cost, so I said I would leave.  No no no, they said... come talk to the doctor. 

I tried to talk to the doctor, but kept getting distracted as he was checking messages on his phone and texting.  At the time I wondered if it was because he knew I wasn't going to be a patient after all, but, in the end, I just think he thought it was okay to do.  I told him office manager, who told him, and he called, very defensive... he only checked his messages twice, and only wrote a text once, and it was important, blah, blah, blah.

Needless to say, I'f I'd won the lottery, I still wouldn't have let him do it.

Fast forward 2.5 years, and I get a bill for that visit.... over $400.  At first, I didn't even recognize the name, and then, when I did, I laughed.  I'd changed insurances, and this was 2 and a half years later.  Wasn't gonna happen.  But, I called the office just to explain that, yes, I got the bill, no, I wouldn't pay it... I'd tried to leave after we knew that insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery, and was told to just meet with the doctor.  Surprise!  The good doctor wasn't even in town!  He'd left, very abruptly, leaving many patients without support for their lap bands.

IMO, this guy is a real piece of work.  I saw on the front page for this forum that he is back in town, and drumming up business.  Be very careful .  IMO, he is rude, arrogant, and totally lacking in morals... and apparently sense, if he thought he could charge me for a visit I tried to end, 2.5 years ago.