*****ing about my surgeon's office - Ben-Meir in Cleveland

My surgeon has been great, but his office is a disaster.

My consultation appointment went smoothly and there were no issues with surgery or the hospital stay.  The problem is the wait time for follow-up appointments.  At two weeks out, I waited almost two hours.  There were people in the waiting room sleeping because they had been there so long.  It was an unorganized cluster of visits with the nurse, the nutritionist, and the surgeon.  The appointments at four and six weeks out were just as bad. 

I complained to the surgeon and the bariatric coordinator.  Later, while speaking by phone on a different issue, the coordinator told me that they have improved their processes and no longer have these problems.  So today I went for a 6 month follow up.  Once it was 30 minutes past my appointment time, I asked how much longer it would be and was told "no sure, but probably quite a while yet."  The doctor wasn't even there yet and there were a bunch of people before me.  I left.

I self paid $21,000 for this surgery and I'm annoyed that the only way to get decent follow up is to wait for hours.  My time is too valuable.  I don't have my surgeon's name under my avatar because it just seems like advertising to me.  I was going to write a review on my surgeon's OH site, but I hear that OH deletes negative reviews.

Luckily my PCP has been following my progress.  Although she is not a bariatric specialist, she is very attentive.  She checks labs regularly and really seems to care.

Thanks, I needed to vent.
 

 If you put his name under your avatar than give your review of him OH does not delete the bad ones. Under my surgeons reviews there is 1 bad one and OH does not go in and delete them. Your doctors office has control of that site. 

They might delete it the office staff once they see it. But I bet they do not even go on OH much to see what is being said at least I know my surgeon does not go on his. He has a person in the office update it from time to time. The site belongs to your surgeon not OH.

If you click on my surgeons name see under reviews what loveshack said. But I do not even believe what she said there is more to her story.

Thanks for the info.

I agree that long waits in a doctor's waiting room are frustrating, and I don't know where you live, but in some places, that's not unusual. Here in El Paso, we have such a severe shortage of doctors, those wait times you're listing are about normal. My bariatric surgeon is an exception; I've never waited more than a few minutes in his office. But most doctors... well, I've waited up to 5 hours for my family doctor, and over 3 hours for my OB/GYN. (I have since changed both of those docs.) 

 OMG the longest I waited in my surgeons office was 20 minutes and his waiting room was packed that day. I would leave after waiting a half hour there. My surgeon must be not the normal thing than.  
When he does come in the room he is fast you have to say hold on let me think what i wanted to ask you and he will slow down lol. But if you do not tell him not to rush he flys.

You wouldn't leave after waiting a half hour if you lived in El Paso. Like I said, we have such a hsortage of doctors that you wouldn't have a choice. They all have that sort of wait.

Sounds like your surgeon doesn't really care since he has his money for the surgery, sorry to say.

But do put in your complaint and send them a bill (fake) for your time waiting in their office to see if that gets a reply or response to the wait time. Name it "My valuable time wasted" They will get the point. I would certainly post a comment on them to see if others view this and have the same problem. Customer service is a valuable tool that many don't know how to use it.

I hope your surgeon doesn't keep very ill patients waiting that long.

Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that.  My experience there has been very different - I don't think I've had to wait more than 10 minutes for any of the appointments. 

Looks like you had surgery after they claimed to improve their appointment scheduling, but they were not having a good day today.

My mom had her Bypass with Ben Meir and I never heard her complain of wait times, but things might have changed in the past 2 years. My mom also just follows up with her PCP for lab work. I was a self pay in Mexico and I don't have any follow-up visits here except with my PCP. I don't see why you can't just stick with your PCP from here on out.

Good luck!