Dr. Rafael Carrion - Bait and Switch? Buyer Beware!

[DougAnd]

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!

[SeaRover]

Now you know why I chose Dr Kata of Kissimmee to do my revision surgery yesterday.

Doug,

Do you think Kata is better than Carrion for the implant surgery?

BTW, being naked in front of med students is not a major issue for me. For some reason people seem to be focused on that small part of my post. Don't know why.

Joe

[Larry10625]

Guys;
Most of us will require at least 1 revision in our lifetime. I don't know about you but it comforts me that my exceptional surgeon is teaching and closely monitoring his students who will be taking the lead once Dr. Brock retires.

Larry

[DougAnd]

Now you know why I chose Dr Kata of Kissimmee to do my revision surgery yesterday.

Doug,

Do you think Kata is better than Carrion for the implant surgery?

BTW, being naked in front of med students is not a major issue for me. For some reason people seem to be focused on that small part of my post. Don't know why.

Joe

Joe,
Kata just replaced my pump. I had him use glue and water proof bandages rather than stitches. So far I've had nothing but excellent results from it. He did it Tuesday no pain I would have gone to work the next day except not allowed and of course the tender wound would not chance that.
My biggest issue is that the paper work given me from Tampa clearly says that anyone on the team or network will do the procedures. That is why I discounted Carrion. Yes he is good was one in Fl to lead the way for modern implants. I won't say that Kata is not as good but I saw Kata 3 days before Carrion and Kata did not notice that my penis was twisted and both tips on the same side. Took Carrion just seconds and he was what number 5 that saw me? I loose count. Donnie had Kata with excellent results. My opinion? Between Kata and a maybe Carrion I'd choose and did choose Kata every time. Yes I do highly recommend him and I trust him implicitly. So here I am on the couch with my wedge pillow under my butt bored to death no pain and waiting for my cut to heal so that I can do something. My scrotum is still completely soft very little discoloration. Best of all he asked me where do you want it I lifted my gown pulled on the very bottom of my scrotum and said right here. And that is exactly where it is. No one could ask for or expect more. Give him a call, Dr Edward Kata. By next month or so you will be bionic and loving life again with a very bright future of ZERO ED. I should have done this 30 years ago. At 66 I just can't keep up with my little man. Remember to mention that you have already been cleared for implant surgery it will speed up the process.

[SeaRover]

Doug,

Thank you very much for the info.

Joe

[Genesis]

There was some potential fuckery with my surgery as well:
I found out soon after admitance on surgery day Carrion wasn't listed as the lead surgeon, Dr. Loeb was.
I was assured this was a computer error and briefly spoke to Dr. Carrion before entering the surgery room.
I passed out 1 or 2 seconds after the anesthesia was administered and never saw either surgeon.
Dr. Loeb talked to me very briefly after but Carrion had already moved on to the next patient and didn't see him again until the 2 week follow up.

In the surgery notes Carrion is listed as #1 surgeon and Loeb #2.
The note was written by Dr. Loeb and ends with:
"I and Dr. Carrion were present for the key/critical portions of the procedure."

Overall I feel they did a pretty good job, but it's not perfect. The tubing in the glans were not symetrical ("slight tilt of the glans to the left, suggesting left to right distal crossover") and they made one attempt to correct with a 0.5 cm longer rear tip on the left but there is still a slight tilt to the left which was not present before surgery.

My experience with the facility and the staff as a whole was positive but I still have some reservation in recommending Dr. Carrion.

[Dave52]

I would never go to a teaching hospital again. Four years ago I waited nine months to get an appointment with the head of orthopedics surgery at New England Baptist hospital to have my knee replaced immediately after the surgery I found out that there was a problem with the lower part . When I confronted the doctor he disagreed with me several months later after several x-rays he finally admitted that there was some micro loosening of the tibia plates I argued with him and I said I’m an engineer there either two things to look at it’s either loose or tight there’s no in between that went on for another six months and then finally found out. After struggling to get the surgical notes that he did the upper part and his fellow or student did the lower part anyway to make a long story short. There are really good doctors at teaching hospitals but unless they do the work you don’t want the other ones.
Dave

[Larry10625]

I would never go to a teaching hospital again. Four years ago I waited nine months to get an appointment with the head of orthopedics surgery at New England Baptist hospital to have my knee replaced immediately after the surgery I found out that there was a problem with the lower part . When I confronted the doctor he disagreed with me several months later after several x-rays he finally admitted that there was some micro loosening of the tibia plates I argued with him and I said I’m an engineer there either two things to look at it’s either loose or tight there’s no in between that went on for another six months and then finally found out. After struggling to get the surgical notes that he did the upper part and his fellow or student did the lower part anyway to make a long story short. There are really good doctors at teaching hospitals but unless they do the work you don’t want the other ones.
Dave

I get that and I sympathize with those who did not want students touching them BUT, what are we all going to do when our great surgeons retire and it's time for our revisions?

Larry

[Mr stuby]

I agree with larry on this one. If the # 1doc. would be doing his work correctly he would be checking and double
checking the students work and making sure its correct. my wife has had 7 major back sugeries at uni of minn by
# 1 ortho in the us of a. i asked him about his assistants and he said that is how its done to train new docs.
its to bad their are some pigs in the litter!
mike

[DougAnd]

Larry,
My answer is work on anyone but me until they get it right! Of course you could do like me and search the world over 9 different uros involved and still counting. I do NOT want to become a surgical statistic again.