8 replies to this topic

[KayDub]

Wasn't quite sure where to post this... This is the best place I could think of.

I had some surgery on my spinal cord (inserting a stimulator, which involves putting a box in my back and running wires through my spinal cord) just under 2 weeks ago. I've been having major complications and was due for a follow up. I called my doctor's office Monday afternoon and got a call back yesterday. They said my doctor disappeared last week and left no information on where he was going or how to contact him. I was shocked. I mean... I kind of need to see a doctor ASAP. I was upset saying the least the could have done was call and tell me this last week, she said well it's not like we didn't call you, we didn't call anyone... Umm that's kind of the point. They also said the remaining doctor would see me in a new patient appointment when he's open in a few weeks. I was further shocked and reiterated I just had spinal cord surgery and needed a follow up ASAP. They finally got me on the cancellation list.

I called my GP to tell her this and of course she's on holiday, her assistants were shocked though and are frantically looking for a new specialist for me. I have an appointment tomorrow, a doctor squeezed me in. I got a call this afternoon from the office I was at saying I could come in. I did and they refilled my pain meds but the new doctor didn't make me feel comfortable and didn't really address the problems I was having. I've missed class too (I'm on an academic scholarship this can't keep happening) and e-mailed all my professors. They were shocked this would happen... they also all happen to be lawyers.

Anyway I'm trying to be proactive and find new doctors and get my medical needs taken care of immediately. But I'm also in shock. I really liked my doctor, he made me feel comfortable and was knowledgeable and listened to me and had a long term plan of action. He was open and upfront with his background and where he studied and did residency and everything. Then for him to just up and leave? Uhhhh... And the way the practice has handled it is not okay in my books. If they knew nothing they should have been up front and called his patients last week when they found out, especially his post op patients, something they obviously have records for. It almost seems like they're hiding something. If there's some malpractice issue I would like to know since my health could be at risk. It just all seems so... weird.

Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions?

[Soryfam]

Wow, what an odd situation. A couple of things come to mind...

Perhaps your instructors might have some ideas regarding what you should do, whether to pursue why he disappeared, is it malpractice, etc.

I know the major tv stations in Denver do investigations on things like this all the time. They recently did one on a gravestone company that just up and closed (after something like 100 years), and left a lot of people who had paid for the stones, but never got them. You might contact one of them to see if they might want to investigate. Just a thought...

I hope you can find a bew surgeon who makes you happy very soon. I would be very upset if my surgeon disappeared.

Sandy

[KayDub]

Good idea Sandy! I mostly just want to know what happened because I really liked him! Followed closely by wanting to know if it's related to anything that could affect my health. I got the referral to the office from my old hematologist, and while I didn't like her she was with a reputable Oncology practice. The office I first went to was in the Belmar area of Lakewood in a newly developed building above a PF Changs. That was a little sketchy but I felt much better when I finally met the doctor. He did all my surgeries at the Medical Staff of Aurora and the staff there knew and really liked him. I might see my dad this weekend and I'll bring it up. He's been very active his whole life in torts litigation, bringing some large liability lawsuits to trial. I don't want to it to go that way, but it's nice knowing there's a backup.

[goose]

I had something similar happen a few years ago but not for a post op appointment. I called and made an appointment with my GP [by name] and was given a date and time. When I went I was seen by a nurse practitioner, she left the room and I just continued to sit and wait for my doctor. After about 30 mins. of waiting, the nurse came in and asked if there was a problem. I said no...just waiting on my doctor. She said 'honey, that doctor has been gone for 6 months.' I told her that no one said anything to me about that when I asked to make my appointment. I was alittle upset for traveling an hour to see a nurse and billed for seeing a doctor.

[pinkcloud]

hi

Worst case scenerio he did loads of bodge jobs and ran...yeap they tend to be charmers and yeap it happens. i wont fill you with true horror stories

Whatever we guess..we wont know so best to just think he won the lottery and is loving it up in the summer sun. The hospital will sort it out......hes not a waitress...hes responsible for your care until discharge and if he was a bodge job...i feel for the dr who got to take over his patients care..you will find out, keep on it.

drs leave all the time..they get sick, have breakdowns, relatives die....they are humans and hospitals have back up plans...i am sure he will want his payments of past work....the hospitals going to want to get rid of his notes and all sorts of stuff

Good luck with your new doctor, a great bed side manner isnt the most important..his work is

[KayDub]

 pinkcloud, on 01 September 2011 - 12:02 AM, said:

hi

Worst case scenerio he did loads of bodge jobs and ran...yeap they tend to be charmers and yeap it happens. i wont fill you with true horror stories

Whatever we guess..we wont know so best to just think he won the lottery and is loving it up in the summer sun. The hospital will sort it out......hes not a waitress...hes responsible for your care until discharge and if he was a bodge job...i feel for the dr who got to take over his patients care..you will find out, keep on it.

drs leave all the time..they get sick, have breakdowns, relatives die....they are humans and hospitals have back up plans...i am sure he will want his payments of past work....the hospitals going to want to get rid of his notes and all sorts of stuff

Good luck with your new doctor, a great bed side manner isnt the most important..his work is

Thanks pinkcloud! Really good advice. I was weary of his charm at first for that very reason. However he eventually won me over with how candid he appeared. He took time getting to know me, listening to my history, really giving me a detailed comprehensive diagnosis and long term plan of care and also sharing his background and medical qualifications. Kind of a bummer he left.

Unfortunately he only did his surgeries at the hospital. He was with an actual practice and they're the ones who have left me in the dark. I don't trust them to reliably follow through with him or me or anything related to his disappearance, and that really bothers me. If I hadn't have called I would have had no idea, and according to the nurse I spoke with, the office had no intention to let anyone know! I was able to see the other doctor in the practice who is dealing with all my doctor's patients today. Meh. He had no knowledge of the surgery I had and didn't address any of my problems, he just acted like it didn't work and we need to move on. I'm still seeing a new doctor tomorrow my GP referred me to.

[Ginny]

Something really wrong happened. He was either let go or escaped on his own, or was involved in something icky. There's no reason that an office wouldn't contact you if something legitimate had occurred. I suspect that his staff either doesn't know what's going on or doesn't know how to handle it. In either case, it's unfortunate for you. I wish you didn't have to deal with this concern on top of everything else. Certainly not fair.

[pinkcloud]

flipping heck

Too right i too trust doctors, especially nice ones....they can be rare sometimes so its great when we comes accross one like your doctor.

Sounds like this new doctor sure knows how to get his patients to discharge themself...sounds to me like his attitude was the equivalent of wearing a cardboard banner around his neck saying 'i dont want to treat any of that doctors patients...i'll be as rubbish as can be so they will run to get away from me'.

Let us know how you get on, we are all keeping fingers crossed for ya

[Tetracyclone]

KayDub-

You handle things fine, so no advice is necessary. I suspect this is one of those weird life lessons where you view close up that humans are sooo unpredictable. His practice is seriously flawed - I suppose the doctor was too.

My consolations. Bummer. Drat and double drat.