Do you HAVE to use Ortiz for fills when he bands you?

Thread Starter  

I know that Dr. Ortiz's patient coordinators say they prefer to have him do your fills. But what if that isn't feasable? If I have to get fills locally (with flouro) does that in any way remove Dr. Ortiz from being held responsible if I have a compication? I don't mean that to sound snarky. I just wouldn't want to get into a situation where I chose Ortiz and then get fills locally but can't count on him for long-term care if anything came up.

Make sense?

Well, you don't have to do anything. There is nothing I remember from the surgery agreement that says you must use Dr. Ortiz for the fills. Heck, he's one of the people behind the Fill Centers USA, so he's definitely not opposed to having other doctors do the fills.

However, they do really prefer that you have your first fill with them just to be sure that the band placement is good and to ensure that your first fill is good. We view this as a good thing.

Dr. Ortiz gives you his personal cell phone number after the surgery. He encourages you to call him, day or night, if you have any concerns or questions. You also get the cell number for Dr. Martinez and so many other ways to contact the staff that it's a bit overwhelming. :)

Thread Starter  

I see. I think if I were to get my first fill under flouro locally that would be a good compromise. I think it will be too costly to be able to return for fills. But I do appreciate that they prefer to perform the aftercare. Seems like a responsible policy.