Not Getting Any Support...Options?

[prtybrd 1]

I really hate that I'm having to post this, but I don't really see that I have a choice. And sorry for the long post.

I signed up with True Results for my gastric sleeve surgery. They did fine handling the insurance verification part, if a bit slow. Once I got approval from my insurance company, they told me my surgeon would be Dr. John Marsden here in Dallas. I set up an appointment to meet with him prior to surgery only to find that it was a group session, with a quickie 5-or-so minute personal time to ask him questions. He seemed nice, so I didn't think much of it. I worked with his scheduler, Jodie, to get my surgery set up for August 25th, and arranged all my work/medical leave/training/vacation around it.

A week later I got an email from Jodie telling me that now Dr. Marsden was going to be out of town on the day of my surgery, and I would have to pick a different date. This meant moving my surgery up to August 11th. Okay, no big deal, I'll just rearrange my entire schedule over again, now having to attend training in Houston instead of Dallas (more on this later).

The day of surgery, I arrived at 11am at Baylor Plano like I was told. The nurse had me get in my gown and socks and wait. Only about half an hour later did we find out that Dr. Marsden's office had messed up his schedule, and he was two hours late arriving that day. My surgery, originally scheduled at 1pm, did not happen until 4:30pm. I spent five hours in a hospital gown, in a small room, starring at the ceiling. I saw Dr. Marsden once, about three hours before my surgery, when he peeked his head in my door for about 5 seconds to make sure I was there. My anesthesiologist, who had not communicated with me AT ALL prior, showed up about ten minutes before my surgery to make sure I had signed the consent forms, not seemingly to actually care about my condition. I never saw Dr. Marsden again.

I woke up in the recovery room briefly, and I was only really aware again when I got to my room. My parents said that no one had ever told them how anything went, they never saw Dr. Marsden, never saw any promised surgery pictures, and they hadn't seen the anesthesiologist. The only way they knew I was going to my room was from a computer screen in the waiting room. The surgery had taken half the time everyone had quoted. My nurse checked me when I rolled into the room, but didn't come back for the next 2 hours. In the meantime, the Dilaudid they gave me wasn't really cutting any of the pain, so the next hours are a bit of a blur.

My nurse finally came back and got me on some different pain medication around midnight, and I did well getting up to walk as soon as possible. I was feeling much better by the next morning. Around 7am, I was told that I needed to do a swallow test to check my staple line, and couldn't go home without it. The only problem? The imaging center took ER and ICU patients first, and I would have to be fit around them. That meant my test wasn't until 11am. Meanwhile, I had been asking for "Laura", the nurse practitioner who was my ticket to discharge. She was always too busy to come to my room. Finally, around 4pm, we managed to get a visit. I asked about my surgery, since I hadn't seen hide or hair of Dr. Marsden at all, and she said she had no idea what had occurred, other than a sleeve, since his operating report wasn't posted yet. To this day, I could be missing a gallbladder or have had a hernia repair, and not know it.

I called Dr. Marsden's office as soon as I was able once I was home, as I was told to schedule my post-op follow up appointment. The receptionist told me that I was to call True Results, not them, as I would not be seeing Dr. Marsden again. Nice, huh? True Results was completely booked up, except when I have to be in Houston (due to Dr. Marsden's scheduling problem), so I'm now wondering what the point is of going to a post-op appointment almost a month after the fact.

So basically, after the pretty bad assembly-line experience I've had, basically being left alone to figure everything out, I'm thinking I should just find someone outside of True Results to work with going forward. I'm actually healing very well, but I would love to have a nutritionist or someone to talk to. Anyone have any suggestions? Something I haven't thought of? And is it normal for your surgeon to ditch you as soon as the stitches are knotted and the steri strips glued?

[sbg224 318]

I cannot believe you were treated this way. I have been a nurse over 30 years, and never, ever would I put up with this treatment. I would be on the phone, or in there office, and loud enough so future patient's could hear me and the despicable treatment I had if I were treated this way. Get a manger or someone who maybe cares to point out these issues. Most other surgeons and their staff do not want to take over for another surgeon, they do not want that responsibility, and I don't blame them, so good luck finding someone outside of this horrible group to take over.I wish you the best and hope yu straighten it all out, but someone from that group needs to listen to you and have a surgeon see you within a reasonable amount of time, 2 weeks at most.

[swimbikerun 1,041]

This doesn't surprise me. The money is in surgery. All you can do is call around and see who will treat you.

[newmebithebypass 713]

Wow that's terrible im so sorry that happened to you

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I am so sorry to hear about your less than personal experience. Surgeon's don't stick around long, but they should f/u. I saw my surgeon at the initial consult, on my last pre-op prior to surgery, in the OR and at my 2 week f/u. However the program is run as a team approach so I have seen the same nutritionist, nurse, NP at every appointment.

Sadly this is a warning to all to truly investigate programs. I looked at 2 different programs before settling on the one I choose.

To the OP, I would definitely seek out someone else for follow care. You may even be able to use your PCP if they are willing. I am happy to hear that you are doing well. I hope that continues to be the case.