post-op survey of sorts

Unable to sleep early this morning I read through some of the older posts. I came across a group of them written by post-op patients who needed their gall bladders removed about 6 months post op from their RNY.   I see the advantages of having your original surgeon perform the gall bladder removal as he is already familiar with the new plumbing.  I however, sort of made myself a promise that I would now avoid Dr Juarez  office staff from here on out...like the plague. Let's face it they are all very inept and most cholesytectomies are done on a near emergent basis.  SHOULD this be necessary do I choose a surgeon here in Sun City at Boswell Hospital, very close to home.... or try to fight my way through to Dr Juarez?  I would want to do what is best for me but at the same time I want to avoid the pure aggravation and stress his staff caused me while trying to get my RNY set up.  I am not anticipating a problem but thought this might be best thought out in advance, just in case. Gena

Hmm, good question Gena.  I think I would contact my PCP first and try to get someone nearer to my home like you and who might be familiar with RNY plumbing.  I agree that I would not want to play anymore monkey games with Dr. Fangs office.  I liked him very much but his staff is a disservice to him and us.  Dawn

Can you get through to the office?  I've tried on 2 different occasions and have been unsuccessful.  I don't have all day to stay on hold.  Is there a better time to call or should you just go down there?  I liked Dr Fang  I really think he's smart and experienced.

i havent called in a few days but when i do i always just press 0 rather than listen to all the options.  I keep returning to the main menu and after 2 times getting put on hold by a person i start complaining loudly and get to talk to a real person.  i think they just keep putting us round and round the telephone system because they don't want to answer.  I also never leave a message.  I will stay on hold over and over to speak to the person  who is "in but on another line at the moment" I want and I let them know many times I am waiting.  Pain, but what are you gonna do?  I too like Dr. Fang. 

Yeah, I always press zero to get a human and always got one right away. I never had to wait on the phone system for a human being. Perhaps I figured out the shortcut early so never had that aggravation on top of everything else. I do agree though, that office is one of the WORST examples of a doctor's office I've ever encountered. When I found out 10 days before my surgery that I had to have Cardio clearance, I was so used to the ineptness of Dr. Juarez' staff, that it was like finding an absolute jewel. The cardio docs I found and who cleared me were absolute perfection in comparison, and I frankly "gushed' to the doctor about how wonderful and even wondrous his staff was. :) Perhaps that is why he cleared me (that and the fact that I really didn't NEED a cardio clearance). 

Gena, I'm really not sure how the "changed anatomy" inside would make a difference for a surgeon working on the gallbladder. If it really makes a difference, then you would want your original surgeon. If it doesn't make a difference, then any good surgeon will do the job. You might have to "interview" a perspective surgeon to find out what problems, if any, he might have with the new plumbing, and to ask him why it's no biggie (to get him to draw you a picture to show you he knows the new basic arrangement inside). Basically the gallbladder will be in the same location as ever, with ducts leading to the liver, duodenum and pancreas (I think that's how it is), and that territory should be mostly of textbook design. If I'd still had my gallbladder when I had surgery, I would have asked Dr. J to remove it. Too many have serious gallbladder issues and I just don't want additional surgery. But, thankfully, I had my GB removed in 2001 as an extreme emergency. They waited 8 hours after I hit the ER so that they were sure I had no food left in my stomach, and then did the surgery. They were convinced my GB was not only filled with stones, but that it was infected and would burst. (that is usually a fatal event).  I've always wondered about it though.... the pathology report indicated no stones and said "normal healthy gallbladder".  

I will discuss it with my PCP today. I assume I still have my GB as I signed no consents to remove it and have been told only 1 time (back in 1982) that I had any problems with it. No problems were uncovered during my abdominal u/s during pre-op testing. My question is purely to gather info should it go bad quickly. I truly do not think I want to run the gamut of Juarez office if there is any way to avoid it again. Then the long drive for my family to Good Sam with our family hospital less than (Boswell) 2 blocks away. Boswell has become quite a hospital over the last 30 years and I have lots of faith in what I have seen them do for hubby and my father. My father was hospitalized on Oct 26 this past year...his 88th birthday with an extremely HOT gall bladder. With no  prior problems it became infected with gangrene, was shredded and abcessed, leaking  and on the verge or rupture when we got him to ER.  It was removed later that day as an extremely emergent situation. He did very well after surgery but developed C. Dificile which nearly killed him about 9 times. A total of 8 admissions. He has just this week      thown away the last of the meds used to get him over it. Other than that I can honestly say all the years I worked in a hospital I never saw a "sicker" gall bladder patient but that is my father. He has had so many truly life threatening health situations but always pulls through. He is the original Energizer Bunny!  A real testament to Cigna Health Care, So, all in all it is odd that post-op your  gall bladder would have been so normal Lithia? Gena