OH Surgeon List

Stephanie P. nailed it bang on IMHO.... Quote: What should change (aside from the misleading DS listings) is they need to make it clear that the lists are NOT comprehensive, AND that who's on the list, and who isn't, is completely dependent on who decides to pay and NOT on qualifications!

I just looked at the OH surgeon list and then the "Surgeon Sign-Up Packet" and it is obscene. They want $997 a year from surgeons to be listed. Among the list of odd benefits to being a member, the most creepy benefits are the following Big Brother-esque items: a) "PR Watch--we scan the web daily for patient-generated comments. We can spot and rapidly bring critical items to your attention." Do they mean the web, or the OH site? So, basically, watch what you say about your surgeon. OH is watching. b) "Enhanced patient promotion--we can make our pre-op members even more likely to interact with your satisfied post-ops." What the heck does that mean? Creepy. If I were a bariatric surgeon, (and I often fantasize about being one), I'd like to be listed here for informational puposes, but I would steer clear of doing any extra promotional stuff here, like ads or memberships. My patients and prospective patients might think I'm a money-grubbing a-hole.  By the way, my surgeon is Rabkin, and I'm glad he's not on the list. Didn't Groucho Marx say something to the effect of, "I don't want to a member of any club that would have me as a member?" LOL Nicolle

Enhanced patient promotion--we can make our pre-op members even more likely to interact with your satisfied post-ops This is the most despicable thing I have read in a long time. 

 Well, the OH list and the duodenalswitch.com listings both have good and bad points, IMHO:     OH - pro:  the surgeon profiles show how many of each procedure they actually have DONE, unlike the DS.com list.   You will see that, although many surgeons on there claim to do DS, their figures show they have actually done sometimes from just a few to NONE.  con:  the # of surgeries shown in the profiles is often outdated and need to be upgraded (e.g. check our Dr. Warden in Louisiana's stats!).  Also, surgeons must now pay to have a full profile included in the listings.    DS.com - pros:   lists surgeons regardless of whether they have paid for a listing.  Cons:  doesn't show the # of procedures done by each surgeon to date - some surgeons shown on there have done very few DSes according to their OH profiles  --  also, some DS surgeons should be listed there but are not.  Also, like OH, the list needs to be updated (I dont' think it has been in at least a year - note the copyright date at the bottom of the webpage).       

If Melanie has the surgeon listed on DS.com you can count on the fact that you are dealing with an experienced surgeon.  You can also count on the fact that the surgeon is committed to the DS and is not a bait and don't switch.  Melanie looks for some specific things before listing a surgeon on her site.  It has only been in the last month or so since this last change to the OH list that they took a surgeon's name off the list who is purported to have had to close his practice due to complaints and malpractice suits.  The local news here did an expose type story on this man some time ago but OH continued to have him listed, plus the fact that I do not believe this particular surgeon even did the DS.  Also what good are the stats if they are not kept up to date. Plus, there is no context to the stats.  When you see the surgeon has done a few DS surgeries one does not know if those surgeries were done recently or back when he was a student or he just assisted another surgeon.  Like I said Melanie checks all of the information before posting it on DS.com.