Question:
My Gastroenterologist informs me that she does not
I first saw my Gastroenterologist in January. I told her up front why I was seeing her (a prerequisite from my surgeon because he felt I had reflux). I had the endoscopy and determined I had Esophogitis and a hiatal hernia. She said I was not a good candidate for surgery at that time and would reevaluate after medication and a follow up endoscopy. Well, I had the follow up last week and the Esophogitis is all cleared up and hiatal hernia is better. So I have been calling her office to get her to clear me for surgery and she hasn't been calling me back. Well, her receptionist or whoever answers the phone this morning told me that she will not clear me for the surgery (lap RNY) because the doctor does not believe in WLS. I was furious to say the least and asked this girl why the doctor didn't tell me this in the beginning when I told her why I was seeing her. She said she didn't know and that the doctor was going to tell my surgeon just that the hernia had gotten better but that she would not say it was ok to do the surgery and he had to make the decision. Well, my surgeon's assistant said she didn't know if that would be good enough, so now I may have to go see a whole new Gastroenterologist to get approval, if my surgeon would even accept it after whatever the original doctor sends to him today. Has anyone else dealt with something similar to this? Please, any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. — Dawn P. (posted on March 14, 2003)
March 13, 2003
— Jazzy
March 14, 2003
Dawn, call that gastroenerologist's office and ask them to fax or mail
copies of YOUR record to you, or tell them you will be there on
such-and-such date to pick them up. If she has already written the results
of your endoscopy up and they are on your chart and state the esophogitis
is gone, well, it's just none of her business whether you have surgery or
not. She is to give clearance, not decide whether or not you should have
WLS surgery, unless she states a legitmate medical reason you should not
undergo the procedure. That decision IS up to you and your surgeon! What
if you were going to have some other procedure? Would her prejudice result
in not having some other surgery? Get the records and take them to the
surgeon. (My husband had to have cardiac clearance, and the cardiologist
who did the tests said he was okay to have any surgery, and didn't put in
whether he approved of WLS or not - not his job.) Perhaps when the gastro
talks to the surgeon, he will "set her straight". Good luck!
— koogy
March 14, 2003
Yeah that nightmares in my profile. Pulmonoilogist. Thats why its important
to ask your surgeon for referralfs for ALL support docs, and use them.
Otherwise you might run into a anti WLS doc and do whatr you will end up
doing, seeing yet another doc for clearance. Your surgeon wouldnt recommend
someone whoi doesnt support the operation.
— bob-haller
March 14, 2003
I know what you mean...I went to my GI doctor just to get his opinion on
whether or not I he felt I should have surgery. He said that I wasn't
obese enough to have the surgery...what did he mean by that? My BMI is
43...well over what is required. I also have many co-morbs. I think they
are just afraid that they will stop making money off of you if having this
surgery cures your GI problems. Some doctors are in it to help people
while others are in it to make money. I'm sorry that you're having such a
hard time. I would do as the previous poster suggested and get copies of
your records. Give them to the surgeon and see what happens. If you have
to see another doctor ask the surgeon if they can give you a name of
someone they prefer. You always have the choice of a 2nd opinion.
Hopefully that will help. I wish you the best!
— Renee B.
March 14, 2003
Most surgeons have a network of providers that they work with regularly.
Obtain the paperwork from the current gastroenterologist and if that is not
sufficient, have the surgeon refer you to a WLS friendly doctor for
follow-up.
— Cindy R.
March 14, 2003
It must be a gastroenterologist thing. My GI doc tried to talk me out of
it too, he didn't think it was a good surgery at all. when I went back and
told my referring doctor what he said, the referring doctor (a surgeon but
not gastric bypass surgeon) had a shocked look on his face and said he
couldn't believe the GI Doc said those things because everything the GI doc
had said was untrue. This really got my attention, because it is
extremely rare to hear one doctor say that about another. They usually
give the benefit of the doubt to each other's opinions -- at least in front
of a patient. I decided since EVERYTHING else I had found out in my
research in that year about gastric bypass surgery was so positive, that I
went on to talk further to my family doctor and the gastric bypass surgeon
I chose. He also agreed that what the GI doc said was untrue. I am now 8
months post op and feel great and feel the GI doc was wrong. I think maybe
the GI docs don't like our surgery because it is more difficult for them to
work on us if we need a procedure that goes past the little stomach. I
feel like I shouldnt have to suffer or worry about making thier job easier.
— Darlene P.
March 14, 2003
I also had a hyatal hernia, and reflux problems. I had been on steriods
for my asthma and they were causing me to have problems with my liver. My
GI doctor was wonderful, stating the only why to get my liver healthy was
the surgery. He dictated and faxed a letter to my Surgeon, who used this
second opinion(Along with my PCP) to get my surgery approved with no
problems. Maybe you should get a second opinion. A lot of doctors are not
as informed about WLS an they could be. I think this makes them afraid to
be apart of a referral. When I had my gallbladder out 15 years ago, my GI
doctor(a different one) told me there was no such thing as gallbladder
disease! Yeah right!!
— TERI S.
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