Dr, Malley and fills...Red flag I should run...

[sarabluebell 0]

I had my surgery done in Mexico and have been going to Dr. Malley for fills. My last two appointments have been canceled because something came up with the Dr. Now I can get in until the end of January and thats only cause I made the appointment a few months ago. Now I find out that the Dr. will no longer be doing the fills but a nurse practioner will be in charge of it. When I asked if that would speed up my appointment they said yes, but she needed to be trained first. WHAT! Trained? This just seams like a red flag and I think I should run. My only hesitation is that because I had my surgery in Mexico it was hard to find a Dr. to do fills. I drive four hours each way to see him. What would you do? ANyone else in Kansas use a different dr for fills Help

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Is this the Dr. Malley in KCMO? If so, all I can offer is that I know of two people that obtained infections from his fills. Both were banded in Mexico. One was banded by a great surgeon, the other was banded by a not so great surgeon. Both had their bands for at least three years, both went to Malley, both obtained infections immediately after his fills, both lost their bands.

If this is not Dr. Malley from Kansas City, MO then I have no opinion.

As far as a newbie nurse doing the fills.. it really isn't a science but an art instead. Wtih practice she'll likely be fine.

[LovingWhatIs 0]

I am not from MO, but I would definately encourage you to find another filler. I only have to wait a few days for an adjustment. Months is just unreasonable!

[lovekatz1975 1]

I would DEFINITELY run.

[m1hocker 0]

I had my surgery done by Dr. Malley, along with my sister and husband, and he is an amazing doctor. He is actually the best Dr in the Midwest and Allergen has put him in the seat to train and educate new doctors on the band. He is their proctor for new doctors doing their first surgeries. As to a nurse practitioner doing the fills, she is going to be helping him out on the days he is in surgery and is not in the clinic. To me it sounds great because that opens up more days to get appointments. You have to remember, he is only ONE person. His practice has gotten so large because he IS so good. If you set 2 or 3 appointments at once, you should be in good shape to get in. As for the cancellations, I've had to change dates to accomodate Dr. Malley's busy schedule, but have always gotten in the same week. Maybe it has to do with you not being an original patient. I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience with him, but I do believe that these incidents are far and few between. If you asked him his stats on complications and such, you would find he is well below the average. He is Great!!!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

He is actually the best Dr in the Midwest ...

Says who?

and Allergen has put him in the seat to train and educate new doctors on the band. He is their proctor for new doctors doing their first surgeries.

Inamed lowered their requirements for proctoring. It used to be someone had to have a LOT of experience. Today anyone that has placed 10 Inamed bands can be a proctor. They changed this a few years ago.

[m1hocker 0]

Well, that might be, but he is the only one in the Midwest that is doing it, so I can't imagine he is a bad doctor, as what some might think. He has provided the 3 of us with a great tool and has filled us properly and at a great pace for steady weightloss, without infections, and we have all been VERY successful. (Down 79 pounds in 9 1/2 months, sister down 122 pounds in 9 months and husband down 26 pounds in 1 month.)

[mrgrta 0]

There is a Dr. John Price at St. Luke's Hospital that does fills. He has been in KC for 1 year. Moved from Louisiana.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Well, that might be, but he is the only one in the Midwest that is doing it, so I can't imagine he is a bad doctor, as what some might think. He has provided the 3 of us with a great tool and has filled us properly and at a great pace for steady weightloss, without infections, and we have all been VERY successful. (Down 79 pounds in 9 1/2 months, sister down 122 pounds in 9 months and husband down 26 pounds in 1 month.)

So you are basing your claim that he is the best because he is the ONLY one there? Is that actually a compliment for him? In that case, isn't he the worst as well?

I don't know if he is any good or not. I just know two folks that had their band for years with no problems and after going to him he gave them an infection during fills and they lost their bands. Maybe it was a freak thing, no clue.

BTW, the "midwest" is pretty large and he is not the only surgeon doing bands in the midwest. There are plenty of them.

[m1hocker 0]

I never said he was the only Doctor in the midwest, just that he is the only one that is a proctor in the midwest. I know there are several lapband surgeons around here, because I went to other seminars before choosing my doctor.

And you know for a fact that Dr. Malley gave them the infection, right? Of course.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I never said he was the only Doctor in the midwest, just that he is the only one that is a proctor in the midwest. I know there are several lapband surgeons around here, because I went to other seminars before choosing my doctor.

And you know for a fact that Dr. Malley gave them the infection, right? Of course.

Anyone can be a proctor, all they have to do is have 10 bands under their belt. They don't even have to be very experienced. Heck, no doctor is really considered experienced by other bariatric surgeons until they have about 250 bands done. Ten is nothing.

I'm still interested in knowing who makes the claim that he is the best in the midwest? Are you making this claim? Are you basing it on the fact that he is a proctor surgeon? If so, that does not make him the best surgeon. There is a Mexican surgeon teaching in the US and he's probably one of the poor quality surgeons. Teaching does not make one the best.

Or is your doctor claiming he is the best? Inamed doesn't make those claims for liability reasons. If they claim Dr. X is the best and someone goes to that doc based on Inamed's say-so, that is liability they don't want so they have a pretty clear policy not to rate doctors according to skill. They *do* rate them on the # of bands they buy, but not according to skill. Someone can do a million bands and be a bad surgeon.

So who is making this claim that your doc is the best in the midwest?

I posted the facts of what happened, you decide how it came to be. I never claimed your doc is a bad doc as I don't know anything about him, I just posted the facts of what happened.

[m1hocker 0]

I am basing my comment on the Surgery Center that my husband went to. They made the claim about him and being the only proctor in the midwest. Maybe I went too far by repeating that, but I feel that it possibly is the case. His stats are unbelievable and his patient care is amazing. He has done well over 850 surgeries, and yes I know that doesn't mean he is good, but people flock to him around here. That is the reason that he is getting a nurse pratitioner to help in his practice. The claim that Dr. Malley GAVE them the infection is just unsubstantiated. I suppose you can assume that, but unfortunate things happen and I'm guessing that is what happened. It's just odd that I saw in another one of your posts that you even mentioned that when patients get a port infection that nothing usually bad comes from it. This must have just been 2 cases of really bad luck. I think it is just up to each individual to research and ask questions to find out the true facts before just basing their decisions from a post.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

One point I think we all need to keep in mind (and I was at fault for this too, as a newbie) is that we ALL think our surgeon is the best. Isn't that why we went to them? They were the best surgeon for us.

I'm not referring to your doctor here, but another. There are two surgeons in Mexico with the worst reps, the most horrible track records, they are just awful. Yet their patients come here and make claims that they are the best with the best stats. It simply isn't true. They are the worst with the worst stats.

If you go to various MD websites they claim they are a "leading" or a "top" surgeon. Well, I have to ask... says who? It's the docs making claims about themselves that they are leading or top in their field. I can say I am a leading nurse, does that make it true?

So this is kind of something that rubs me wrong when I read it. I can't help but to ask people what they base these claims. Any facility is going to push the doc operating out of there. That doesn't make the claim true, that's someone's opinion. It isn't a fact.

BTW, I have never claimed a port infection was nothing. It's pretty serious. It needs to be taken care of immediately or the person can risk many things such as further infection, sepsis, losing bone (rib cage), and losing their bands. Treated properly many infections resolve. But sometimes they are quite aggressive and they do not respond to treatment and many have to have their port removed in order for the infection to resolve. Nothing minor about it.

[steph_co 9]

I can say I am a leading nurse, does that make it true?

Of course, WABB!! Of course! Here, I'll tell ya what...give me the link to a forum that you attend that is your area of practice and I'll go be your wing-woman to provide "evidence" that you ARE the best nurse! :heh:

[LovingWhatIs 0]

haha Steph! Hey, I am the leading, top, Horse Manure Picker Upper and Stall Cleaner in the Entire Shenandoah Valley. You got my back on that right Steph? I will use you as a reference.

And M1Hocker, hope you won't feel blasted on the board, I love that you share your experiences and what is true for you! Love from Virginia.