Hello all is there anyone familiar with UCSD's WLS team? I am waiting for an approval of an appeal for VSG thru Pacificare and will be using this hospital. I do not see much info on Dr Horigan or Dr. Jacobsen. Any comments good and/or bad are welcomed.

Also is there anyone that has gone thru a request for VSG thru Pacificare within the last year or so? Were you denied on the first go round and if so how and what did you do to get an approval?

Hi

Dr. Horgan put in my band April 07. I have no doubts about his surgical talents. If he is the one doing the surgery, you are in good hands. And he'd be the first to tell you that :lol0:

The thing to keep in mind however, is that UCSD/Thornton is a TEACHING hospital. So... first, who would do the surgery, Dr. Horgan or Dr. Jacobson? I'm sure Dr. Jacobson is a very capable Dr./surgeon, but he is not at the same level of experience as Dr. Horgan, although he has been working under him for years. There is a big difference between having a skilled surgeon performing your surgery, or supervising someone else perform the surgery. Or, not even supervising anymore. Honestly, I don't know the full situation there, maybe I just watch too much Grey's anatomy.

Second, how much followup does the sleeve need? I saw Dr. Horgan yesterday for the first time in TWO YEARS. Residents and interns are doing the fills and handling office visits. Sorry, but I don't like being a practice guinea pig, while some intern learns how to find the port! Of course, the sleeve is entirely different in that respect. Just a warning that it can be hard to get to Dr. Horgan if there are issues. Dr. Horgan got me perfect on my second fill, and I was great for 9 months. Then I had some issues, and had to have an unfill (by a resident) I've been struggling with fills and unfills the last year, struggling to get back to that sweet spot, and other issues that I'm sure many of those here can relate to. I finally INSISTED on seeing Dr. Horgan yesterday, and honestly, I don't think I would have had to go through all I've gone through this past year if he had been the one to see me all along. Cross your fingers we've got it figured out now!

The rest of the staff is very attentive, returning phone calls, getting me in fast when needed, and answering questions to the best of their ability. Key word, best of their ability. There were a few time when I felt like I was the only one with certain problems, only to find out later that many people had similar issues. The support group they have is helpful. Wait time is HORRENDOUS. Expect to wait 1/2 hour to and hour and a half every visit.

I hope this information helps, even though you are looking at a different surgery. Yeah, Dr. Horgan is at the top of his field, so good he teaches others, (oh, yeah, he is gone a lot too, traveling to teach others) the downside is that you have to be prepared to be treated by one of his students.

Have you checked into Dr. Callery in Poway? I don't know if he does the sleeve yet, but I know several other of his patients that love him. I'm thinking of switching over becase it is a far more convenient location, and more importantly, I want to be seen by a DOCTOR, not an intern.

All teaching hospitals are like that... you hardly ever see the surgeon and a lot of the people you do see are gone in a few years as they get trained and moved on.

I had a blood clot in a teaching hospital (The one they modeled House after. Hee.) and it was actually kind of fun, but that's a short-term deal. I made a decision not to use Stanford or USCF up here in NorCal precisely because I wanted to have a close and long-term relationship with my surgeon.

So far, I've seen my surgeon every month at our support group (he runs it) and I've had 5 follow-up visits in 9 months. Not every surgeon is that hands-on and I love it.

Hi

Dr. Horgan put in my band April 07. I have no doubts about his surgical talents. If he is the one doing the surgery, you are in good hands. And he'd be the first to tell you that :confused1:

The thing to keep in mind however, is that UCSD/Thornton is a TEACHING hospital. So... first, who would do the surgery, Dr. Horgan or Dr. Jacobson? I'm sure Dr. Jacobson is a very capable Dr./surgeon, but he is not at the same level of experience as Dr. Horgan, although he has been working under him for years. There is a big difference between having a skilled surgeon performing your surgery, or supervising someone else perform the surgery. Or, not even supervising anymore. Honestly, I don't know the full situation there, maybe I just watch too much Grey's anatomy.

Second, how much followup does the sleeve need? I saw Dr. Horgan yesterday for the first time in TWO YEARS. Residents and interns are doing the fills and handling office visits. Sorry, but I don't like being a practice guinea pig, while some intern learns how to find the port! Of course, the sleeve is entirely different in that respect. Just a warning that it can be hard to get to Dr. Horgan if there are issues. Dr. Horgan got me perfect on my second fill, and I was great for 9 months. Then I had some issues, and had to have an unfill (by a resident) I've been struggling with fills and unfills the last year, struggling to get back to that sweet spot, and other issues that I'm sure many of those here can relate to. I finally INSISTED on seeing Dr. Horgan yesterday, and honestly, I don't think I would have had to go through all I've gone through this past year if he had been the one to see me all along. Cross your fingers we've got it figured out now!

The rest of the staff is very attentive, returning phone calls, getting me in fast when needed, and answering questions to the best of their ability. Key word, best of their ability. There were a few time when I felt like I was the only one with certain problems, only to find out later that many people had similar issues. The support group they have is helpful. Wait time is HORRENDOUS. Expect to wait 1/2 hour to and hour and a half every visit.

I hope this information helps, even though you are looking at a different surgery. Yeah, Dr. Horgan is at the top of his field, so good he teaches others, (oh, yeah, he is gone a lot too, traveling to teach others) the downside is that you have to be prepared to be treated by one of his students.

Have you checked into Dr. Callery in Poway? I don't know if he does the sleeve yet, but I know several other of his patients that love him. I'm thinking of switching over becase it is a far more convenient location, and more importantly, I want to be seen by a DOCTOR, not an intern.

Thank you for Replying because you are the first and only person that has! I have been with UCSD Thorton for over 13 years and have had 4 C-sections with them, but this is the first time for the WLS. However my mother had RNY with this hospital back in 1996 under Dr. Orloff and I was set to have it as well back in 2004, but I found out I was pregnant 4 days before my last appointment, and by the time I had my son I found out Dr. Orloff had since retired. So I had to wait for the new team to come in and get settled and by this time I was pregnant for the 4th time and I was like I am done having the kids so it's now time to get moving. But anyways, thanks for the info because I was a little worried that I couldn't find much info on him/them. I trust UCSD with my life and that's a trues statement!

One of my closest friends is an OB/GYN there and his patients love him... Dr. Chin.