Am I In Denial?

I was scheduled to have my surgery on the 25th at the Wish Center. As late as yesterday I was told that the surgeons will be having a meeting with the owners and their attorneys on Thursday or Friday of this week and that there is still a "possibility" I will be able to have my surgery as scheduled. Everything I have heard or read otherwise sounds so final. Has anyone else had any positive contact with the surgeons? I would hate to think I'm being strung along. On top of everything else that has happened that would seem so very cruel. At this time I'm still on my pre-op diet and am keeping my fingers crossed that things will somehow work out. Am I being naive?

Hi Michelle, If your surgery is the 25th, when was your pre-op appt.? I did get a call from Dr. A yesterday and he left a message saying they are trying to re-open by the end of next week some time and he will keep me on the list of those to re-schedule. I was very surprised to hear from him. I am checking out another surgeon anyway - I am meeting him on Thursday. So, you never know I guess. Dee

Trying to resolve an insurance billing problem from my wife's surgery in February this year, I spoke with a women at the Chicago office. Chicago does all the billing for the Renton office. She told me that the insurance billing had been outsourced and it had been a complete disaster. It has since been pulled back into the Chicago office. In all the news coverage, the Chicago office seemed to deflect any blame for the problem. I believe that they may be the root of the Renton office's problems. What business do you know that can endure a 7-10 month cash flow problem. We are coming up on a year since my wife's first visit and the insurance billing is just now taking place.

I don't know what to say about denial. If you have the luxury of waiting, you might chose to do so. If not, you may want to seek out another surgeon just in case. Personally speaking, I can't trust them. Someone is lying. If they shut the doors and don't care about our lives now what will change. I saw proof that the Corporate office is responsible for this shut down. I have not spoken to a surgeon so I do not know what their involvement is. But, I do believe that all other staff had no idea this was coming. As a matter of fact, their new office, which is beautiful, was set up and ready for business. The staff stayed until midnight to make sure it would be ready to open. Then they were told by corporated to cease operations and be off without pay effective immediately.

So sorry for your problems. Having had the surgery 9 months ago by someone else, I am well aware of the last minute stress under normal cir****tances, so this must be awful. As a past gastric patient, and a medical assistant I am concerned that you will have the surgery and then have no follow up. Or if there are any problems, which do occur, then you will have trouble getting someone to care for you because of fear of liabilities and lawsuits etc. I had this problem with just a foot problem after surgery. No orthopedic surgeon would touch me until a year post op. In a critical surgery like this, it could be a big problem. I would not even consider it, unless you have confirmation from at least 2 local places, that they would transfer care if you were left in a lurch. I am not trying to cause you problems, but am concerned for your long term wellfare and follow-up which is critical after this surgery for a long time. Blessings pam