SeaRover wrote:Over a year ago I started looking for an implant surgeon in the Tampa area. After much research, I decided that Dr. Rafael Carrion was the guy.
I met Dr. Carrion in early October. It was a strange meeting. He said things that he reversed during the same conversation. He seemed rather odd. But I moved forward.
It took over a month to get a cardiac clearance. Finally the surgery was set for this Monday, December 3. Two days ago a notice was posted on Tampa General Hospital's MyCharts messaging system that Dr. Carrion would be doing the surgery.
I planned to spend today and tomorrow getting ready to be at TGH at 5:30 a.m. on Monday for surgery at 7:30 a.m.
This morning around 4:00 a.m. I checked the MyCharts system to see if there were any new message. What I found was message that the surgery would now be performed by a Melissa Mendez, not Carrion. Based on a Google search, Mendez appears to be a rookie, inexperienced surgeon. That wasn't the deal I signed up for.
I spent a good chunk of this morning trying to find someone who could explain what was going on. It's the weekend and this massive bureaucracy had no one who could help me. I finally located a person who told me that she couldn't help me investigate what was going on. All she could do was cancel my surgery. Since there was no one who could help and since I wasn't going to let an inexperienced surgeon do the surgery after I had done so much research to pick Carrion, I opted to cancel the surgery.
I am royally pissed.
When you choose to use Carrion, there are 3 organizations involved: the University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital and Carrion's urology group. That's simply too many cooks. I saw almost immediately that the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing. Carrion has a young assistant who repeatedly told me things that simply weren't true. I had to find people at USF who would set her straight. They have a communications problem among the 3 organizations. What's astounding is that they changed my surgeon at the last minute and didn't bother to let me know. I think it's a mistake to use a doctor at a teaching hospital. During my appointment with Carrion in early October, a student observed, which was awkward when I pulled my pants down to let Carrion examine my penis.
I'm finished with Carrion. Changing the surgeon from Carrion at the last minute without calling me is inexcusable.
I'm already looking for another experienced urologist in the Tampa area. If you know of one, please let me know.
My advice is think twice before putting yourself at the mercy of Carrion, USF and TGH.
Now on Monday I face the daunting task of getting TGH to refund the money I paid them in advance for the surgery.
Joe
Joe,
Now you know why I chose Dr Kata of Kissimmee to do my revision surgery yesterday. But I'm still having Dr Carrion do the tests and research for my problem. He is the best around. On my first visit He had a young female intern observe as he checked out my penis. Yes I was embarrassed but it just goes with the cost of an implant. This past year I have been naked in front of more strangers than in my past 65 year to the tenth It took him a matter of seconds to see what 6 uros before him had missed. My left tip had migrated over to the right side and was sitting on top of my right cylinder tip. Since that first visit I have not seen Dr Carrion again always an aid. And I drive from Melbourne a round trip of over 250 miles a pop. Right then I knew that I would never let him do my surgery. Dr Kata is only an hour away and I always see him. He just moved my scrotal pump yesterday and today I am in no pain have not touched even Tylenol. After 4 years of implant testosterone pellets from another uro he just did me last month and it was the first time they were done correctly into the muscle and not just under the skin. Next year if my right cylinder has not become straight and safe it will be Kata who replaces the entire implant. But meanwhile I am going back to Carrion to have a cysto done to see how badly my urethra has been damaged by the crooked tip. Make no mistake if I need emergency surgery it's back to Kissimmee not to Tampa. Good luck and by the way. I failed my cardio first time around went Monday for pre op and they called my cardio Doc to clear me rather then do the EKG and take a chance. Kata's team does absolutely know what both hands and feet are doing 24/7. Good luck!