Not a good start!

Rubydot · 07-02-2008, 04:42 PM

I attended a seminar in Maryville, TN which was presented by Dr. Colquitt. I was so excited; I filled out all the paperwork and went in for my first appointment today. I waited 50 minutes. I asked the "nurse" how much longer it would be and she said I better get used to waiting because we were in a surgeon's office and that's the way it would always be.

I left. I told her Dr. Colquitt had just lost a patient.

I feel that I have to have someone with whom I feel comfortable and someone that I can rely on to be there for me. I would not look foward to working with someone who thought it was the norm to have patients wait for almost an hour to see him.

Any suggestions?...any doctors in Knoxville, TN you would recommend?

Momto5 · 07-02-2008, 04:57 PM

I would have been unhappy, too. My dr. does surgerys 3 days a week and does consults the other to. I didn't wait at all. Hope you find someone soon.

nanaislosingit · 07-02-2008, 05:08 PM

Rubydot, Probably what she was saying is that with surgeons they get emergency surgery at times that messes with their schedules. The two times that I have been to see mine he had emergencies and I had to wait. Normally he has surgeries in the am and appointments in the pm but does not run like that all the time with surgeons having emergency surgeries. I really like Dr. Redmann and would not trade him for anything.

Rubydot · 07-02-2008, 05:29 PM

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I did see Dr. Colquitt in the office while I was waiting in the waiting room. I was not only disappointed with the wait but also with the reply from the nurse.

(P.S. I am originally from Bogalusa, LA!)

Rubydot · 07-02-2008, 05:30 PM

That's what I want...a doctor I can really rely on and feel good about. Good Luck!!!

sharona · 07-02-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rubydot

I attended a seminar in Maryville, TN which was presented by Dr. Colquitt. I was so excited; I filled out all the paperwork and went in for my first appointment today. I waited 50 minutes. I asked the "nurse" how much longer it would be and she said I better get used to waiting because we were in a surgeon's office and that's the way it would always be.

I left. I told her Dr. Colquitt had just lost a patient.

I feel that I have to have someone with whom I feel comfortable and someone that I can rely on to be there for me. I would not look foward to working with someone who thought it was the norm to have patients wait for almost an hour to see him.

Any suggestions?...any doctors in Knoxville, TN you would recommend?

find another surgeon, I never wait more than 5-10 minutes for my appointments and it is inapproriate for the staff to make that comment to you. Just because he's a surgeon doesn't mean his office time cannot be scheduled appropriately. Sometimes there could be an emergency but not often.

Good luck, don't despair there are lots of good docs out there

Rubydot · 07-02-2008, 05:43 PM

Thank you!!!!

To be free · 07-02-2008, 05:50 PM

I'd find another Doctor, I have never waited more than 10 min. and the office staff and nurses are the best. I think it is most important for a surgeon to have a great support staff, in my office I've seen them more than the surgeon.

Good Luck!

MusicMan2008 · 07-02-2008, 06:03 PM

If I relied on my Doc's office staff everytime I never would have had the surgery. Sometimes it's better to put our egos aside and realize what's important. I wanted the surgery more than I wanted a great office staff. A side note, my Doctor was the only one who actually came out of surgery to speak to my family. Every other doctor in surgery just called the families by phone.
MIKE
P.S. You guys that are telling her to find another doctor, who the heck are you to mess with someone's head like that. What if there isn't a better doctor in her area and she decides not to have it? You are taking her medical life in your hands, be very careful with any advice that discourages someone from reaching their goals. Also I'm glad my doctor is SO busy, that means he gets ALOT of work. I would be worried if I were able to just drop by my doctor anytime.

nanaislosingit · 07-02-2008, 06:25 PM

Rubydot, I hope things work out for you. Maybe give them another chance and see what happens. The staff at my doctors office is great. Each and everyone is so sweet. I hope that is what you find. It helps the trip go smoother. I had a uncle that use to leave in Bogalusa, Conrad Crowe. I miss him much. Keep in touch.

Kalipso2 · 07-02-2008, 06:31 PM

i'm not sure how to respond to this...

i started the process in March... got banded in April... 1st fill in May and 2nd fill in June. during all this time, i've only seen my surgeon twice. the 1st time was during my initial consult and the 2nd time was the day of my surgery.

BUT, he is an excellent surgeon and i did a LOT of research on him. even though i've only seen him twice, he's answered numerous emails from me. yes, i was a little put off at first by never seeing him again but... he's a surgeon, not necissarily a fill-giver.

his practice is extremely busy and you have to make appointments at least a month in advance but i've never waited for more than 15 minutes... ever!

Cadets71 · 07-02-2008, 07:29 PM

I understand the frustration of waiting past an appointment time and I had to make a similar decision early on.

At my initial appointment, I waited 90 minutes! I thought that I would leave but when I considered my alternatives, I knew I was with the right surgeon. I decided I would wait rather than go to a less qualified surgeon. The office staff is not wonderful; the office manager can be difficult; but, the surgeon has impeccable credentials and a very successful track record. So, now I wait an average of 1-2 hours and I live with it because he is the best in my area.

Sometimes we have to make trade-offs, but these are very personal decisions. I will add that I am a nurse and I have a Masters in Health Care Administration. Do I think his office could be better managed - absolutely. Is he going to hire me to fix it...probably not; so I wait. He does do all of his own fills, so I will be seeing him every 6-8 weeks on a 5 year plan. I guess the quality of the care outweighed the waiting for me.

Just a different perspective, but I also understand your frustration!

Nancy33 · 07-02-2008, 07:29 PM

I really have to agree with Mike on this one. Surgeons are very busy people and you had no idea what he was doing that held you up. His staff really can not give you that kind of infor, all they can say is he is running late. He had a problem that time, another surgeon might have a problem next time and before you know it, you don't get the surgery! That would be a shame.
I live in an area where good surgeons don't fall off trees and I would rather have a known surgeon who has a proven record of success with lap band surgery than some the doctors other people have discribed on this site. I feel really sorry for some of you as the care you describe doesn't sound that good to me.

sistasassy · 07-02-2008, 08:14 PM

I have been to the doctor's office/surgeon's office many times and have had to wait. I have waited for 2 hours in the ER before.

The point I am getting to is that there may be someone with that doctor who needs his/her care more than we do at that moment.

I was in the ER one time (in the midst of my very first and most major panic attack) and was told that, although my paramedics were going to stay with me for the time being (so I would not be alone), the doctor and the nurses would not be in just yet. Mind you, I had never had a panic attack before and would have sworn to you that I was having a heart attack and dying.

I could hear noise and voices and beeping in the room next to me.

A few minutes later there was almost an instant quiet......and then screaming and wailing. A 23 yr old father of 2 had just died after valiant efforts by the doctors and his staff to save his life.

I will never complain again about having to wait when I am basically healthy and, in all reality, DO have the time to wait. That young father did not.

It taught me a hard lesson.

Now, that being said, the nurse needs to work on her people skills. She could have handled it differently. I would have waited to see that doc and then addressed the issues with him.

di1138 · 07-02-2008, 08:37 PM

Mike, come on we all have a right to be treated with respect. That woman was rude. They are not volunteering their services for free! I am sure there is more than one surgeon in Knoxville that is competent. My doctor is in Los Angeles and I understand he is one of the best in the country. He and his staff bent over backwards to make me comfortable. All of my husband's and my doctors up here in the high desert treat us with respect. Sure sometimes we have to wait but if it is long we are given a reason and an apology. One must feel good about the doctor and staff for surgery. Our attitude going in affects our success.