Drs. Schlesinger and Gitt

I think Pepsi has a good point.  Consider this... Joyce writes posts such as this:

~~Post Date 10/15/08 3:24 pm
Topic: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Revision

I definitely recommend Dr. Eric Schlesinger.  Many on this site have had him do their revisions.  He offers every type from Band to DS or Extended Rny to sleeve....I think the only one he has issues with is revising to a band OVER the Rny.....I think he said it has potential for too many complications i.e. reflux, erosion, slippage, etc.

Folks travel from all corners to have him as their surgeon.  ....  He does phone consults too!

Good luck!  A great surgeon can certainly make all the difference to one's success! ~~

Don't you think it should be made a little more clear the business affiliation between Gitt (Joyce's employer) and Schlesinger?

Considering Joyce is a Schlesinger patient and suffering from what appears to be a serious odor problem, a gas problem, a need to go out and walk to relieve the symptoms of gas periodically throughout the day, chronic diarrhea, poor labs, an inability to stop losing weight, an inability to stop dumping on anything she attempts to consume, a BMI of 18.1, etc. etc. etc. doesn't it seem just a bit unethical to push this doctor the way she does without at least being honest about the business relationship between her employer and Schlesinger?

Dr. Schlesinger just had a pretty serious complication where an infection was misdiagnosed on a WLS patient.  Long story short, due to the misdiagnosis, a lack of a simple culture when an infection was finally diagnosed so the wrong antibiotics were prescribed the patient now has a hole in his stomach, drains, a feeding tube, and medical bills (after insurance) of $12K, self pay for surgery $15K (total of $27K) and NO WLS tool... I'd be concerned.  And you know what the real kicker of this is?  It was a BAND patient.  Not a revision, not something extra complicated but a BAND patient.  A newbie getting his first band.  $27K out of pocket, no band anymore, huge medical bills ahead of him, and quite ill with a leak from a hole in his stomach.  He'll have a feeding tube for at *least* a month.

Infection is a risk for ALL surgery.  It happens, it cannot always be prevented and it isn't necessarily the fault of the doctor.  But the infection was misdiagnosed and treatment was not initiated until it went from his port to his band and eating a hole through his stomach.  That is without excuse.  BTW, this is a local Phoenix person.

She claims to be a cheerleader for Juarez.  Dr. Juarez was recently separated from his contract with an insurance company due to patient complaints and the insurance company turned him into the Medical Board for Arizona where he was formally disciplined for his actions with a patient.

She claims to be a cheerleader for Dr. Gitt.  Dr. Gitt was disciplined by the medical board for failing to act on a patient with post op complications.  Had he followed the Standard of Care this woman wouldn't need a 2nd surgery to correct the problems.  The Medical Board also wrote of concerns in his billing practices but to be honest, I can see how that one could happen.  I don't know the whole story but it sounded like an office error that can happen, not that it's his usual billing practices.

The AZ Medical Board is currently working on their website and it is down this morning but if you wish I'll post the links for you to read yourself when the website is back up.

I just think a little balance is in order here.  Balance and honesty.  I don't think it is right for a person to push a doctor that may or may not be all that great without telling the whole story, such as the business relationship.  It's an integrity issue.  I recall a post where Joyce was quite clear in explaining that Schlesinger just happens to be down the hall from Gitt's office.  What a lie!  In that post she was making it clear it just happens to be so.  Not true, Gitt OWNS that clinic and to be that misleading is inappropriate.

I don't think there is a bloody thing wrong with Gitt owning Schlesinger's clinic.  I think it's a great idea to be honest.  But why hide the facts and truth?  Why not just lay the cards on the table instead of hiding everything and being deceptive in an annoyingly perky way with lots of smilys and such?

Do I like Joyce?  No, not really.  We had issues 2 years ago where she did something I felt was beyond unethical.  I confided in her and told her something specifically requesting she not tell ANYONE.  She told quite a few people in the name of "helping" me.  I didn't ask for her help, I asked her to keep my issue private.  Again, we are back to ethics.  It is no longer a private issue in the least, everyone knows about it.  When I went to Mexico to get my lap band I didn't tell my husband.  I was desperate for surgery and would have done anything to get it.  I could have had my band done by Simpson through insurance.  Between not wanting to go to Simpson and not wanting to wait months and months to jump through insurance hoops I opted for self pay with a surgeon I do like and trust.  I trusted him enough to go back to him for my revision from band to sleeve (again bypassing my insurance co).  HE was able to do it lap, had I gone to Schlesinger I'd have had a full open procedure for band to sleeve.  No way... I wanted the safety and ease of a lap vs. full open.

So I don't think it's a bad thing to get the WHOLE truth out there instead of the bits and pieces previously shown.  Again... integrity and honesty.  That's all anyone is asking.