Looking for Implant Veterans in Fresno CA Area

[Injustright]

This would normally be something for the "Intros and Hellos" forum but this is a really specific issue. I'm in the middle of a three month wait for my urologist to move forward on an implant, and would really like to find out how many he's done, and if there are men around who had a procedure by him. I can't ask the second of him, and there's no point in asking the first via e-mail since he NEVER ANSWERS THE DAMNED THING. So I'm wondering how busy I should get looking for another option or opinion. And help would be really appreciated.

[Lost Sheep]

Have you reached out to his office manager?

You could go the the Coloplast and the AMS/Boston Scientific websites and look up his name in their lists of implanters.

While surgeons are not known for their bedside manner or such courtesies, to completely ignore a patient's attempts at contact is not a good indicator of how well he might take care of you post-op. Just a speculation, because he might be really good post-op and dismal at pre-op, but you take you chances with anyone. Sometimes physicians do leave incidental contacts to staff.

It is not out of the ordinary to ask for references from prior patients. Some surgeons keep a list of patients who have given permission to share their contact information or you could give permission for him to give your contact informatin to prior patients to contact you.

I intereviewed 6 surgeons before selecting Dr Shaw to do my implant. Two in Anchorage, one in Seattle and (by email) Dr Kramer and Dr Eid. Having the experience of doing a lot of implants (either as the primary surgeon or assisting under a mentor) is (in my opinion) vital to having an optimal outcome. What convinced me about Dr Shaw was his dedication to a good outcome. He told me that if he were in private practice this would be his specialty. That clinched it for me.