I'm so frustrated with my GI doctor

[Samantha T 41]

I need a GI clearance to have my surgery and I made an appointment with him back in October and told them very specifically why I needed to see him. I have been back and forth with them telling all the people I have seen in his office why I was seeing him when they asked and none of the ever mentioned that he doesn't do clearances for surgeries. I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy done a few weeks ago and on Wednesday I went in and was told "I don't give clearances I just do the procedure. Talk to your family Dr." My final weigh in is in less than two weeks and now I have to find another GI doctor and hope that they are taking new patients. So any hope of having my surgery any time soon is in the toilet.

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[GradyCat 3,695]

Oh that's awful! I'd be wanting to punch him. Of course he can do a clearance! All he has to do is state your current GI situation. Oh how frustrating! Good luck getting a new one.

[KCgirl061 1,532]

What a pain in the ass! I'd complain to the office manager and tell them how much time and money has been wasted since he can't write a simple clearance letter. Let them know they lost you as a future patient and you'll be telling everyone you know what a horrible experience you had with them. Trust me, in the medical field PATIENT SATISFACTION can be a very big deal. Throw a big a fit to the right people at that clinic and you do have a chance of getting the paperwork you need from them.

[Frustr8 7,886]

Those are the ones you wish would get massively impacted and can't secure any relief!😖😰

[DanaC84 1,116]

What @KCgirl061 said ^^^. I’m not sure if you are self pay but I doubt my insurance would pay for another test so close in time. I’d also be asking my surgeons office to intervene to see what they can do

[RickM 1,747]

I would check with your surgeons office about it, as you have the tests and data that is required - if a bariatric surgeon doesn't know how to interpret an endoscopy, then he shouldn't be in bariatrics! Mostly, they are looking for a CYA from another doctor before they proceed, but if the report is clean and there is nothing to worry about, then it should be OK. The important thing is to know what is going on inside as that can influence what procedure is done or how to go about it, which is what the report would tell him.

To be somewhat fair, the gastro doesn't necessarily know what the surgeon may want as a clearance in this case - that is often an interpretation on the surgeon's part - and not just a "yes/no" thing from the gastro. One surgeon I know prefers to do some of these things himself rather than depend upon a gastroenterologist report (particularly when he is doing a revision) as he knows better than the gastro what he is looking for.

A cardiac or pulmonary clearance, which are also common, are more of a yes/no thing ensuring that there are no big showstoppers that will cause grief under anesthesia, but an endoscopy or upper GI gives the surgeon information that is useful for planning his operation, so should be something that he can handle.

[ElaineP 6]

It may be a wording thing. Sic your bariatric office team on him. The way my pulmonary worded it was 'I don't give clearance. What I do is tell them that you don't have any issues that would put you at a greater risk in surgery than someone else'. Plus, the guy just sounds like a jerk.

[Samantha T 41]

What a pain in the ass! I'd complain to the office manager and tell them how much time and money has been wasted since he can't write a simple clearance letter. Let them know they lost you as a future patient and you'll be telling everyone you know what a horrible experience you had with them. Trust me, in the medical field PATIENT SATISFACTION can be a very big deal. Throw a big a fit to the right people at that clinic and you do have a chance of getting the paperwork you need from them.

Oh how I wish I could. He has his own private practice though and everyone works under him.

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[Samantha T 41]

What@KCgirl061 said ^^^. I’m not sure if you are self pay but I doubt my insurance would pay for another test so close in time. I’d also be asking my surgeons office to intervene to see what they can do

I did and she was kinda dumbfounded and said that she'd talk to one of the surgeons who the office belongs to and see what he says.

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[Samantha T 41]

I would check with your surgeons office about it, as you have the tests and data that is required - if a bariatric surgeon doesn't know how to interpret an endoscopy, then he shouldn't be in bariatrics! Mostly, they are looking for a CYA from another doctor before they proceed, but if the report is clean and there is nothing to worry about, then it should be OK. The important thing is to know what is going on inside as that can influence what procedure is done or how to go about it, which is what the report would tell him.
To be somewhat fair, the gastro doesn't necessarily know what the surgeon may want as a clearance in this case - that is often an interpretation on the surgeon's part - and not just a "yes/no" thing from the gastro. One surgeon I know prefers to do some of these things himself rather than depend upon a gastroenterologist report (particularly when he is doing a revision) as he knows better than the gastro what he is looking for.
A cardiac or pulmonary clearance, which are also common, are more of a yes/no thing ensuring that there are no big showstoppers that will cause grief under anesthesia, but an endoscopy or upper GI gives the surgeon information that is useful for planning his operation, so should be something that he can handle.

Since I was already a GI patient the clearance is what my insurance requires before they approve the surgery not the bariatric doctor's. The coordinator that handles all of the paperwork said that she was going to talk to one of the surgeons to see what he says but she really had no clue what to do.

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[Samantha T 41]

It may be a wording thing. Sic your bariatric office team on him. The way my pulmonary worded it was 'I don't give clearance. What I do is tell them that you don't have any issues that would put you at a greater risk in surgery than someone else'. Plus, the guy just sounds like a jerk.

I gave the coordinator his name and phone number and she said she would call them. Maybe she'll have better luck with him then I did. The wording could have been off but he seemed very adamant that he does not do that. I just wish he could've said something from the begining.

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[SeattleLady 277]

I gave the coordinator his name and phone number and she said she would call them. Maybe she'll have better luck with him then I did. The wording could have been off but he seemed very adamant that he does not do that. I just wish he could've said something from the begining.

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If he continues to refuse your request? Then get a referral to another doctor connected to your bariatric surgeon. I am sure you can work this out. It might push your date back. However, you can get it done.

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[Samantha T 41]

So I got another referral to a different GI dr and when I explained to him why I was there and what the last dr said he freaking laughed. Then told me I need to talk to my primary care doctor that there was nothing he could do.

I'm done with all my weigh ins and all I need to do besides the clearance is take a hospital class and a nutrition class. I can't sign up for them till I have that clearance though.

It's just so frustrating and I feel like I've wasted the last 8 months trying to reach something that isn't going to happen.

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[FluffySaysForkIt! 823]

I am so sorry you are getting the run around.

I think what I would do, if I were in your shoes, would be to make an appointment with the in office insurance coordinator at my surgeon's for a face to face at this point. Sit down with them and explain what has been going on and the (many) steps you have taken to clear this hurdle. Explain that this is the ONLY thing holding you back. After all, I am sure the surgeon wants to see you get to surgery too and this one small roadblock should be something he and his team can help you navigate through. Don't give up!

[Samantha T 41]

I am so sorry you are getting the run around. [emoji20]
I think what I would do, if I were in your shoes, would be to make an appointment with the in office insurance coordinator at my surgeon's for a face to face at this point. Sit down with them and explain what has been going on and the (many) steps you have taken to clear this hurdle. Explain that this is the ONLY thing holding you back. After all, I am sure the surgeon wants to see you get to surgery too and this one small roadblock should be something he and his team can help you navigate through. Don't give up!

I've talked to them multiple times and they're just as baffled by him not doing it as everyone else I've talked with. I had an appointment today and they told me that I need to talk to my primary dr. He has no problem giving me a referral it's finding a gi dr that'll deal with it.

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