Very bummed...Bridwell is not in my plan-Chicago anyone?

[Guest guest]

I found out today that Dr. Bridwell is not considered in-network for

our insurance. We would have to pay 40% of costs, and there is no way

we can begin to afford that for surgery. We could probably swing the

costs for a consultation, but I'm wondering if it is worth driving 4

hours each way.

Chicago is only 3 hours away. Does anyone have any experience with

any docs there? I had heard of a doc at University of Chicago named

Pernendu Gupta that someone on the NSF forum recommended. I just want

to be sure that I am finding someone who actually has some experience

with something so complicated. I'm near Indianapolis, so if you know

of anyone here, let me know as well.

I am just so frustrated with all this. To top it off, I hurt so bad

after school today that I could hardly move when I got home. I was

grouchy and short with my boys. And, only being able to take Tylenol

for the pain does basically nothing for me. (I developed an ulcer

from too many years of NSAIDs.)

OK, enough whining. Any doctor advice would be greatly appreciated.

And, thanks for the warm welcome.

[Guest guest]

,

I haven't heard anyone speak about Dr. Gupta before. He may or may

not be very experienced in flatback revision surgeries. As I stated

before, I had my surgery in Chicago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

with Dr Tyler Koski. He and his partner Dr Ondra are very

experienced with complex spinal deformities and more specifically

with flatback revision. Dr Ondra has many publications and

collaborates with many other " big-name " surgeons such as

Lenke/Bridwell and Rand. Dr Koski was his fellow for a while and now

is his partner.

If you'd like more info about getting in for an appointment, please

email me for more information. If you just call to make an

appointment, it will likely be a 3-6 month wait period. But if you

can fax them an x-ray report or something similar, they can usually

get you in within a month. They do surgeries on Mon-Wed-Fri and

reserve Tuesdays every week just for their complex spine patients to

have appointments, whereas " regular " spinal patients are scheduled on

other days and end up having to wait longer because those appts fill

up faster.

Anyways, I had very good luck with them. Both surgeons are very

polite, compassionate, and took a lot of time with me.

>

> I found out today that Dr. Bridwell is not considered in-network for

> our insurance. We would have to pay 40% of costs, and there is no

way

> we can begin to afford that for surgery. We could probably swing

the

> costs for a consultation, but I'm wondering if it is worth driving 4

> hours each way.

>

> Chicago is only 3 hours away. Does anyone have any experience with

> any docs there? I had heard of a doc at University of Chicago named

> Pernendu Gupta that someone on the NSF forum recommended. I just

want

> to be sure that I am finding someone who actually has some

experience

> with something so complicated. I'm near Indianapolis, so if you

know

> of anyone here, let me know as well.

>

> I am just so frustrated with all this. To top it off, I hurt so bad

> after school today that I could hardly move when I got home. I was

> grouchy and short with my boys. And, only being able to take

Tylenol

> for the pain does basically nothing for me. (I developed an ulcer

> from too many years of NSAIDs.)

>

> OK, enough whining. Any doctor advice would be greatly

appreciated.

> And, thanks for the warm welcome.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It was much easier to get approved to go out of network for Dr

Bridwell than I expected. I just had to get an in-network doctor to

refer me. Even though the in-network doctor thought he could do the

surgery, the insurance committee agreed that it would be better to

send me to Dr Bridwell. I also pointed out that it would be much

less costly than to continue to go for pain management treatments.

>

> I found out today that Dr. Bridwell is not considered in-network for

> our insurance. We would have to pay 40% of costs, and there is no

way

> we can begin to afford that for surgery. We could probably swing

the

> costs for a consultation, but I'm wondering if it is worth driving 4

> hours each way.

>

> Chicago is only 3 hours away. Does anyone have any experience with

> any docs there? I had heard of a doc at University of Chicago named

> Pernendu Gupta that someone on the NSF forum recommended. I just

want

> to be sure that I am finding someone who actually has some

experience

> with something so complicated. I'm near Indianapolis, so if you

know

> of anyone here, let me know as well.

>

> I am just so frustrated with all this. To top it off, I hurt so bad

> after school today that I could hardly move when I got home. I was

> grouchy and short with my boys. And, only being able to take

Tylenol

> for the pain does basically nothing for me. (I developed an ulcer

> from too many years of NSAIDs.)

>

> OK, enough whining. Any doctor advice would be greatly

appreciated.

> And, thanks for the warm welcome.

>

>

>