If this is the kind of care that the neurosurgeon you are using is providing, along with his office staff.

WELL

the only advise I would give you, is this.

Run, don't walk, out of this office, away from this doctor and his staff and find yourself another doctor.

HMO or no HMO, this kind of care is far from acceptable for any patient, especially when it involves surgery of any kind.

Having had 3 spine surgeries in 5 years, I can tell you this, I would not accept or deal with this kind of treatment from a spine surgeon or any kind of doctor for that matter.

Believe me, when I say that I have had more surgeries than I care to think about, and never have I ever been treated as you describe in your OP, for any of these surgeries.

The last surgery was a recent as 11 months ago.

If you can not get your questions answered prior to surgery, if you can not speak directly with the surgeon that is operating on you, before he operates on you, after the surgery and for any questions, that is a sure fire red flag sign that something isn't right with this set up and you need to go elsewhere.

There is absolutely no reason what so ever for any doctor, any surgeon to treat his/her patients this way.

I would also, after finding another spine surgeon, reporting this kind of behavior in this practice to you HMO. It is not acceptable for any patient to be treated this way.

Skip the help line and call the HMO's main office. Ask for the "patient ombusdman" or "customer satisfaction" department.

Tell them that you are being urged to get surgery, but neither the surgeon nor the surgeon's PA is willing to provide you with information about what to expect.

Tell them that your giving "informed consent" for the surgery is impossible because they are not providing the information you need.

If you are in an HMO you should have a primary care provider, probably the one who referred you to this neurosurgeon. Make an appointment with your primary care provider and ask to be referred to someone else.

I make many referrals, and feedback from my pts is important. I would not want a pt to be cared for by someone they do not feel comfortable with.

Thanks for all the input. I've talked many times to my primary care Dr about how things are handled; He's aware of my issues.
I decided to keep a stiff upper lip and get through it; I don't have the $ or time to be switching doctors.

I looked back at my original question and still would like input. If you had back surgery - laproscopic - what were your experiences after surgery when you got home? Was the recovery swift or did it take a long time? What instructions were you given for after surgery, and what did your "rehab" consist of?

I need to plan on caring for myself after surgery when I get home; I will be home alone most days. Your experience would be helpful for me to plan.
Thanks in advance.

There are MANY back procedures that are done with a laproscope.

Without knowing more about the specific procedure, you cannot get reliable advice.

I will echo lazygardens advice, ask to speak with the ombudsman or nursing supervisor. I NEVER want a patient of mine to, "keep a stiff upper lip and get through it."

What mdln said.

You are setting yourself up for a difficult and long recovery (of course, everything may go swimmingly, but, if they don't, they will be worse for not having the information you need and the access to your surgeon that you are paying for!)

OK...thanks anyway...

If it was me I would be checking out ways of fixing the problem than surgery. Because you canâÂÂt get un surgery and now there is more antibiotic resistant bacteria in the hospitals than ever before. You will have to sign a paper saying that they are not responsible for all mistakes they make even if they kill you.
Some times surgery is the only way but I would check all other options first.

@d0ug - STOP scaring people with misinformation!!!

Your statement, ''have to sign a paper saying that they are not responsible for all mistakes they make even if they kill you'' - is absolutely NOT true.

This post was edited by mdln on Fri, Mar 14, 14 at 21:13

Simple tell them you will not do the procedure unless they can guaranty you will not be harmed and it will cure the problem.
Have them sign a paper saying you can sue them if they do a bad job.