Anyone else not comfortable with your surgeon's office?

[sbekch 19]

I have had so many issues with my surgeon's office staff, that this journey is not an excited one. I am almost to the point of just quitting the process.

Some of the issues have been that the Patient Advocate tried to stop my process without talking to my surgeon, and of course pissed me and my surgeon. So I got a new PA and haven't been able to talk to her either! She won't return my calls, when I email her it takes forever to get a response if I even get a response!

I have done all the educational meetings, psych evaluation, Nutritional class but they haven't scheduled me for EGD. And I don't think they will. Now I don't know what to do!

Has anyone else had this problem? I am at a loss!

[DanaMomto3 145]

I love my Surgeons office. The staff is amazing. I like them more than my surgeon! But I trust them all!

[sbekch 19]

You know what's crazy, when I tried this back in 2009, I loved the office staff! But they have grown in to a larger office and all new staff that I don't feel it there! Sad

[NancyB 6]

I have had so many issues with my surgeon's office staff, that this journey is not an excited one. I am almost to the point of just quitting the process.

Some of the issues have been that the Patient Advocate tried to stop my process without talking to my surgeon, and of course pissed me and my surgeon. So I got a new PA and haven't been able to talk to her either! She won't return my calls, when I email her it takes forever to get a response if I even get a response!

I have done all the educational meetings, psych evaluation, Nutritional class but they haven't scheduled me for EGD. And I don't think they will. Now I don't know what to do!

Has anyone else had this problem? I am at a loss!

Oh that is a tough situation to be in. Have you thought about calling the office manager? Maybe they can help you get around the politics that seem to be going on in the office.

[DanaMomto3 145]

Thats tough especially since we deal with them more than the surgeon.

[Traci J. 207]

You can always find a different surgeon. All the things you've done that your insurance requires can still be used. If you're not happy now, how will you feel following the surgery if you were to have a problem? Hope everything works out for you. Good luck!

[sbekch 19]

Unfortunately I have to go to a Center of Excellence hospital and this is the only office that works at that hospital.

If I get approved, I hope things improve! But they don't think I am gonna be approved, so....I don't know

[920amy 409]

sbekch, there's always Mexico if you don't get approved! Have you looked for another hospital even if it is out of your area that would work with your insurance? I know there are many Center for Excellence hospitals, maybe travelling would be a pain, but I have to agree with some of the otehr posters, you might be less happy dealing with these people after the surgery. Why do you think you won't get approved? WHy did the PA try to get you shut down to begin with? Have you tried to personally reach out to teh new PA and connect with her so you stand out in her mind? Just some suggestions, I hope your situation gets better either way, and that you are able to have the surgery!

[sbekch 19]

sbekch' date=' there's always Mexico if you don't get approved! Have you looked for another hospital even if it is out of your area that would work with your insurance? I know there are many Center for Excellence hospitals, maybe travelling would be a pain, but I have to agree with some of the otehr posters, you might be less happy dealing with these people after the surgery. Why do you think you won't get approved? WHy did the PA try to get you shut down to begin with? Have you tried to personally reach out to teh new PA and connect with her so you stand out in her mind? Just some suggestions, I hope your situation gets better either way, and that you are able to have the surgery![/quote']

Thank you for all of the responses!

My best friend actually went to Mexico to have her surgery, but I just don't have the finances to do that.

The reason I don't think I will be approved is because I am only at a BMI of 37.8 with no co-morbs.

The original PA said that just looking at my file (which was an incomplete file at the time) I didn't meet requirements and she didn't see any reason for me to continue the process.

When I emailed my surgeon to tell him that I was uncomfortable dealing with the original PA he responded not to worry about it he would hand my case off to the New PA and copied her on the email. She emailed me once to tell me that she would pull my file from 2009. I called her several times but she was never available to talk to me. I emailed her and left a voicemail today and still no response.

[Takingcontrol 467]

Try cc the surgeon in any emails to her! If she knows he is getting them too, she's more apt to answer! Worked for me anyway! & I too had no co-morbs & was turned down the first time...but I took it upon myself to write a letter back & address each of their denial points & told them correct...no issues YET, but they needed to consider family history which put me at significant risk! & the fact that they preach preventative measures! I was approved within a week!

[sbekch 19]

Try cc the surgeon in any emails to her! If she knows he is getting them too' date=' she's more apt to answer! Worked for me anyway! & I too had no co-morbs & was turned down the first time...but I took it upon myself to write a letter back & address each of their denial points & told them correct...no issues YET, but they needed to consider family history which put me at significant risk! & the fact that they preach preventative measures! I was approved within a week![/quote']

Thank you for your response! I should have copied the surgeon but thought this PA would be better than the last. Lesson learned again..lol

If I am turned down I may have to do that considering my mother has and father had diabetes. i also have build up in my arteries that could lead to heart disease and my mother, father and sister have had these issues. So it would also be prevention for me as well!

[mwrarr 244]

I'm having a terrible time with this whole process. I started LAST January 24th. Finally got through all their BS(some of it not insurance required) & in November, they jumped the gun & sent to insurance with missing info! This got me denied, of course. It took them 5 weeks to come clean with me about what was done & what needed to be done (I already mostly knew by putting the tidbits together-- I was making weekly calls to ins & coordinator). So now I'm awaiting an appeal answer. This was just an epic fail on the part of my PCP's office, her branch's medical records team, my surgeon's office & bariatric coordinator. Basically everyone who has touched my case has messed it up somehow. I wish I could just give up. I know now how badly I need the assistance of this surgery, though.

[fallingwhisper 187]

I'm having a terrible time with this whole process. I started LAST January 24th. Finally got through all their BS(some of it not insurance required) & in November' date=' they jumped the gun & sent to insurance with missing info! This got me denied, of course. It took them 5 weeks to come clean with me about what was done & what needed to be done (I already mostly knew by putting the tidbits together-- I was making weekly calls to ins & coordinator). So now I'm awaiting an appeal answer. This was just an epic fail on the part of my PCP's office, her branch's medical records team, my surgeon's office & bariatric coordinator. Basically everyone who has touched my case has messed it up somehow. I wish I could just give up. I know now how badly I need the assistance of this surgery, though.[/quote']

My situation is almost exactly the same as yours. I started with my surgeon last January 13th, and after a whole lot of messing around I finally had to get a new surgeon in July, and just last week they finally sent all of my info off to insurance. I found out that I was missing 6 months worth of exercise consult, which wasn't on any of the papers that the doctor or the insurance required. If I have to start all over and do 6 months worth of exercise, by the time that is over my nutrition will be expired and my EGD will have to be redone, all that money I'll have to repay again. If I had the funds or the credit to go to Mexico I totally would.

[NurseGrace 509]

That sounds very frustrating. Tell me a bit more, when working with larger programs the turn around time is always a pain.

Also, just to be the devils advocate for one moment, sometimes, especially in the bariatric fields some patients (not saying you are one of them, but this has an effect on the whole office) are extremely demanding, they leave 5 messages a day and send 15 different e-mails to 15 different staff members and all this does is create conflict, confusion, and slows everything WAY down. So, that being said, If you are one of these, or your program as a bunch of these types, it's chaos and its hard to get back to people.

When you say it takes them forever to get back to you, can you define what forever is to you? To me, taking forever is more than three days for simple questions. For some people, if they call in the morning and don't hear back that afternoon that is "forever" so its hard to advise without knowing what your expectations are. For me, anywhere from 1-3 business days is pretty much what I expect.

That being said - I have personal experience with an unreasonably slow program, and I LEFT THEM for a fantastic privately run facility. Please, if they are unreasonable RUN FOR THE HILLS because if that's how they treat you before they get all your money, imagine what its going to be like after you or your insurance company has paid them. My old program took weeks to get back to me, and sometimes they were rude on the phone while they were at it, and so I took that as my sign to walk away. All of your psych evals and everything should transfer, I really encourage you to consider this seriously if you are not just being impatient.

[sbekch 19]

I appreciate your response but my surgeon changed my PA on Jan 7. I spoke to her once on Jan 9 for about 1 min just to see if she would be in the office on Jan 16 and she said no. I tried to call her on that Thursday and left a message with no call back. So I ended up calling again on Jan 17 left another message and followed up with email. And I finally got a response around 3pm today. Also I only email my surgeon and my new PA.

I can assure you I am not one if the aggravating patients. I also work in an office that deals with the public and mainly criminals so I can spot an aggravating person a mile away! I don't like to deal with them do I know not to be one.

I wish I could switch offices but these surgeons are the only ones that work at the only Center of Excellence hospital.

I guess my only option is to wait and see what happens...