At Thu, 27 Jul 2000, Helen Dynda wrote:
>
>In answer to a letter, which I received today, I said: Yes, I understand
>that Dr. Harry Reich does expect $'s for the initial visit and a pre-payment
>of $'s for the proposed surgical procedure. I am sure that Dr. Reich would
>prefer to NOT have to ask prospective patients to make a down payment toward
>their upcoming surgery; but, unfortunately, Medicare and ALL of the other
>insurance companies - such as HMO's, etc. - have caused this to be
>necessary...simply because they have not been fair in the way they have been
>re-imbursing surgeons for their professional services.
>
>I had a diagnostic laparoscopy August 01, 1997, which was MORE than just a
>diagnostic laparoscopy. As a result of my diagnostic laparoscopy, my
>surgeon discovered that I had massive adhesions attaching my omentum to my
>abdominal wall. He had to deal with lysing ( cutting ) the adhesions BEFORE
>he could investigate the rest of my pelvic cavity!! He had to do an
>adhesiolysis...in addition to the diagnostic laparoscopy!!! He very
>carefully lysed the extensive adhesions, which had formed as a result of the
>laparotomy I had in 1970...YES, I said 1970!! These massive adhesions had
>literally and completely glued my incision to my omentum...7" down and 4"
>across my abdominal wall.!! This surgeon was finally able to CORRECTLY
>diagnose the cause of my chronic pain, which I had lived with for 27 years!!
>My chronic pain had NEVER before been diagnosed correctly...until this
>August 1997 surgery!!!
>
>I am on Medicare...with Blue Cross as my supplement. So how did Medicare
>reimburse my surgeon, the hospital and the anesthesist? FAR LESS than they
>should have been compensated!! Medicare ( and possibly all insurance
>companies ) has a list which gives the $ amount of what they feel each
>surgical procedure is worth; and it is a list which they never waver from.
>If a surgery is a diagnostic surgery, their list says that this procedure is
>worth so many $'s...and NO more. When the diagnostic laparoscopy is a very
>difficult surgical procedure, such as mine was, Medicare ( and other
>insurance companies ) pays the surgeon the exact same amount that is paid
>for a simple diagnostic laparoscopy. It does not matter if the surgery
>takes less than an hour...or if the surgery takes several hours.
>
>We, who have had surgery for adhesions, know that a surgery for adhesions
>can take many hours for the surgeon to complete! I watched Bev's video of
>her adhesiolysis. Dr. Reich was Bev's surgeon. Her surgery took 5 hours!!
>I also viewed Deb's video, which was also performed by Dr. Reich. Deb's
>surgery for adhesions took 10 hours for Dr. Reich to complete!!! There is
>NO way for the surgeon to know ahead of time how much time a patient's
>surgery will take...and Medicare and all the other insurance companies don't
>seem to understand this!!
>
>Now, do you understand what has happened as a result of Medicare ( and other
>insurance companies ) controlling the amounts paid for the various surgical
>procedures? This kind of control has given surgeons a very good reason to
>want to be sure that they are adequately compensated for the very difficult,
>time-consuming, and dangerous job that surgeries for adhesions are. So, to
>protect their own interests, many surgeons are asking for a down-payment
>BEFORE the surgical procedure is scheduled. Once the surgeon has been
>reimbursed by Medicare ( or any other insurance company ), then surgeons may
>be able to refund part of the down-payment...depending upon the $'s received
>from Medicare ( and any other insurance company ).
>
>Dr. Harry Reich is recognized as being the BEST laparoscopic surgeon in the
>world!! For that recognition...a patient of his is going to have to expect
>to pay more!! This is only fair!! Remember...he is very skilled and very
>experienced at what he does best...laparoscopic surgery
>
>There are not ANY surgeons who really want to do surgery for
>adhesions...unless the patient is suffering an emergency situation...such as
>a bowel obstruction. Adhesion surgeries are very difficult, are
>time-consuming, require alot of skill, are dangerous for the patient, and
>can be so very,very discouraging for the surgeon. Why? Because adhesion
>are the way our body heals itself!! Each surgery will cause even more
>adhesions to form....UNLESS the surgeon uses every technique he can muster
>up to be the victor over adhesions. This is what Dr. Reich is able to give
>to his patients!! He is willing to dedicate his surgical expertise to
>battle adhesions in the way that he knows best.
>
>If you are tired of taking expensive pain medications to relieve your
>pain...and still you are experiencing pain...and if you are determined to
>give surgery a try, BE SURE TO CHOOSE THE BEST SURGEON YOU CAN FIND!! It is
>the surgeon, whom you choose, who can make the difference as to whether you
>will have further problems with adhesions!!! There are NO surgeons who can
>guarantee that your adhesions will not re-form!! BUT the best surgeons will
>do everything within their power to try to help you become adhesion-free.
>
>Currently, to the best of my knowledge, the only adhesion experts in the
>United States are Dr. Harry Reich and Dr. Jay Redan...who together opened
>the very first Adhesions Unit at Community Medical Center in Scranton, PA.
>Dr. Matthias Korell of Duisburg, Germany shares the spotlight as also being
>an expert in doing surgery for adhesions. Dr. Korell recently performed an
>adhesiolysis and a second-look laparoscopy for Mary Pomroy, who had a very
>severe case of adhesions. Our Bev ( bnb@cybrzn.com )and Mary will have alot
>of excellent information to share; which will help to make it easier for
>others to consider traveling to Germany for adhesion surgery.
>
>I hope that I have explained this in a way which will help you to understand
>why prospective surgical patients are expected to make a downpayment, if
>they want the surgical services of one of the best adhesion specialists in
>the world. You, of course, are free to seek the services of any surgeon you
>want. As for me, I have decided to have Dr. Harry Reich as my surgeon. My
>appointment date is pending.
-- Robin