Upper GI & "adoption fee"
Filled out health history online with new potential surgeon. He's ordering upper GI before seeing me. If I recall from my post sleeve and ERCP sick days, I vomited the barium and fizzy stuff. Fingers crossed that won't happen. I'm having it done in morning and planning to work that day. Anyone with recent experience have advice if this is reasonable?
I was told by surgeon's staff that they charge a $300 " adoption fee" since I'm coming from another surgeon. I can come up with the money but that weirded me out. I can see potential cost in doing work up or getting old med records but a flat rate fee to "adopt" me sounds odd. Anyone experience this? It sounds like I'm being fined for having a crap surgeon the first time.
This is a roller coaster in my mind and I'm scared I'll be told it's my fault or that I'll fail again or that I'll get deathly I'll again or be awake during surgery again. I'm probably hypersensitive about the "adoption" but I also want to trust my instincts this time around.
When I was looking for a new lapband "home" prior to my revision, I couldn't find a surgeon to take me. My lapband doc moved suddenly out of state. Then I finally found a surgeon that was specializing in revisions. I agree with what was posted about medical records being copied and transferred...that can be expensive.
Quick update: I had upper GI this week. Barium is yuck but I did not throw up on anyone. I requested the images to take to surgeon appt in 2 weeks. My "sleeve" looks like a regular (maybe slightly smaller) stomach with a couple bulges. May have true validation that I wasn't really sleeved. Looking forward to appt and surgeon's explanation. Trying to look forward and not back at cir****tances that I believe led to inadequate stomach removal in the first place. Thanks again for all your replies.