Surgery cancelled!!!

[gentylwind 1]

The dispute over patient care could be anything, but likely it is a screw up with scheduling your surgery...likely, the OR you were supposed to be in got booked for someone else, some other doctor, and your doctor is pissed. Wanting you to proceed as scheduled, he called the surgery center, who were able to accomodate him (and you) in the time frame that he committed to you for. He is trying to keep his commitment to YOU because the hospital probably messed something up. If he is implying he may not use the hospital at all any more for surgeries, it is possible to likely that the hospital itself has done this to him before and he is giving up his assigned surgery slots at the hospital in favor of utilizing the surgery center. This would explain why you cannot have it there tomorrow but could in two weeks. In other words, if you are set on having it at the hospital, he can do that for you, but it is not possible to do it tomorrow, because more likely than not this is a situation where the OR schedule got messed up. They do have to reserve operating rooms in advance and if that did not happen appropriately, you can't have your surgery tomorrow. If something like this did occur, you would likely be given a simplified explanation that comes down to "good patient care" issues rather than going into all the gory convoluted details of what it takes to schedule a surgery at a hospital and for all the pieces to fall into place just so. It could also be that the anesthesiologist is not available at the hospital but IS at the surgery center. All things that come down to patient care and that your doctor really has little control over.

A surgery center is better equiped, more organized, perfectly capable of handling ANY surgical emergency and is far less likely to be an infectious risk.

I am sorry you are frustrated. The surgery center really is a better choice all the way around even without this hiccup in plans. I wish you the best...let us know how you do!

Edited October 14, 2008 by gentylwind

[Losing 2 0]

I am soooo very sorry this happened! Since I was self-pay - I have a few dates and a couple of cancellations, because of financing - but never got as far as you... so I am TRULY Sorry.

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I agree,

you have come so far and have prepared so much - why not just do it? I went to a surgical center before going where I went. If they would have taken my financing - I so would have preferred going there. As a matter of fact, I talked with so many surgical centers and they were just on the ball! They knew what you needed and were ready and prepared.

I really, really like my surgeon and his office staff works just like a surgical center; however, his surgerys are done at a local hospital. I've forwarded them a nice long message. Cause those folks at that hospital were absolutely incentive to my lapband needs. When I arrived at 5:30am for my 8:30am procedure, there were approximately 15+ other folks there for other stuff and after having waited to be almost LAST to have my name called.. there were at least 20+ folks in there - a madhouse of folks for all sorts of stuff. When I arrived on the floor, the care was just not there. My husband took care of me. In the middle of the night I had an excellent, well-seasoned nurse. The next morning - I was totally unsatsfied with the care again. None of the other nurses knew what I could/couldn't have (I learned more of that while on this site) and was telling them!

Personally, I truly believe the surgical centers are professionals in the needs of a lapband patient. And most everyone I called and/or visited, a co-worker or two at each place had been banded!

Good Luck with your decision, either way.

[rodriguezequal 3]

I just wanted to say something. You keep saying that you want to be somewhere where they're equiped for things that could go wrong...the surgery center that I go to has just about everything they would need if something went wrong. If your surgeon was concerned with you having problems because of your health he/she would tell you that it needs to be done at a hospital. Did you at least go and visit the surgery center? Or tell your surgeon how you feel about the switch? Try talking with him/her so that they know your feelings...that may help you make your decision as well...

[camfun 0]

I work in a Surgery Center, and sure wish I could have my surgery there rather than in the hospital....... I don't want to stay overnight where I won't be comfortable. I much prefer being in my bed in my house wearing what I want and not having to deal with staff not answering call lights, etc. (To say nothing about infectious diseases that folks tend to get in hospitals!) I do, however, understand your frustration with not being notified sooner. Hang in there, and it will all work out. Good luck to you!