Met with surgeon yesterday.

[KristiinSD]

I liked him a lot...seems very skilled and compassionate. He thinks the odds of a repair rather than replacement are 90%+ so I feel very happy about that. A major glitch, however, is that he can't do surgery until the 8th of Spetember. He has no concerns about waiting, but I think it is going to be stressful for me on multiple levels, the least of which is that the new school year will have begun and I am a professor. It's not like someone can substitute for me for a couplle of weeks until I am ready to return...I probably would have to sit out this semester and that could potentially be very bad for my career.

The other issue is my child...I don't know if its better during the school year, when he will have other things to occupy him for many hours during the day or what...I could interview other surgeons and find someone who could do it now...Any advice?

Kristi
mr severe

 

[PJmomrunner]

I'm just guessing, Kristi, but it's probably pretty likely that anyone you might choose based on superior skill and experience is similarly booked. I had scheduled surgery in February (around the 12th) and the next available date at that time was April 26 (later cancelled, but that's a whole other story ).

 

[brd]

surgery schedule

surgery schedule

For what it is worth Kristi I was just told by my surgeon last Friday that they are booking now for September too. Barbara

 

[Mary]

I think it varies. I met with the surgeon on May 7, and he was willing to move things around in his schedule so he could operate the next week. I was still teaching school, so I said I needed more time.

His scheduler brought the book in, and I had my choice of any date in June. We went with the 7th.

The surgeons who operate daily, like mine, are usually able to get you in sooner because they have more days available. I also found this to be true with Dr. Stelzer in New York. His surgery schedule was pretty flexible; I just needed to give him a date.
Mary

 

[perkicar]

I was waiting for Dr Lytle's scheduler to call me and when she did, she offered me a date the following week since he had cancelled a trip out of town. Yikes! Needless to say I didn't take it since there was no way I was going to be logistically ready the next week (although I suppose in an emergent situation I would have made it happen that quick LOL). But when I told her when I would like it scheduled, that was the date I got. But it was 9 weeks out. I remember my cardiologist telling me, though, that he books 10 weeks out normally.