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totally frustrated
I have been a journalist. I know how to research things. The search for a hernia specialist in the midwest who will do no mesh surgery on an inguinal hernia has been unfruitful. Let me give a caveat as to saying within my insurance network, because I know about Ohio surgery center. I have an HMO–it will be $250 co pay for me to go to my local big hospital and have the surgery. But I really don’t want mesh even though I know it is fine for most people. Because there is no one down here in Central Illinois willing to do this (or able) my insurance has given me permission to find a surgeon out of network within a certain area–All of Chicago is included, Peoria, St. Louis, where there are several teaching hospitals. Nothing. I have gotten the reply: “we abide by the national surgical guidelines which say mesh is best.” This seems crazy. I have spoken to surgeons such as Dr. Brown, who I would definitely go to if I could afford to and tried to talk insurance into reimbursement but they said no and I know this is something that maybe I should go into debt over but I hate that and that kind of stress isn’t good either. I keep thinking there is somebody close who could do a tissue repair. But I also agree a surgeon who is reluctant probably isn’t the best. I’ve posted here before about this. Just keep hoping someone will come up with an answer. How, out of all the surgeons in the world, can there be so many unwilling to learn how to do this? They also seem to really prefer lap over open and you have to have mesh with that, right?
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5 Replies
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Dr. Goldblatt at MCW in Milwaukee supposedly did tissue repair in the past.
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In the Midwest, does anyone remove mesh if needed? I want my original surgery to be done by one who could fix any possible complication from whatever repair type is done, mesh or no-mesh.
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Right? Especially in Chicago with so many teaching hospitals. I have found two surgeons in Bloomington Illinois and St. Louis who are willing to do no mesh, but I don’t think it is their specialty–and someone else found someone in Chicago also willing but had a preference for mesh. I’m going on a consult with the guy in Bloomington. I’ll report back. I think there have to be more–we just don’t know them–for what it’s worth–both of these guys are around 60 so probably used to do the surgery without mesh. I thought there was someone in Wisconsin. It’s also surprising to me given demand for more no mesh options people aren’t learning that and specializing in it–seems like you could grow a practice really quickly.
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Its beyond frustration that there isn’t a good tissue repair hernia surgeon in Illinois or Wisconsin
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It’s all short-term short-sighted thinking, and staying with the herd. Anyone who thinks as an individual, objectively, can see that the old ~5% recurrence rate from open suture repair, has been traded for about the same recurrence rate with laparoscopy, but a much higher ~15% chronic pain rate. All for a smoother, less costly procedure in the short-term. Get ’em in, get ’em out. Being a doctor in today’s era is not about healing individuals anymore, it’s about tending to the masses, apparently.
You’ll probably have to travel. Don’t try to beat the bureaucracy, you’ll waste too much time and effort. It has the power of the medical device industry behind it also. That’s where the Guidelines originated.
Good luck.
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