Any Surgeon Recomendations

[ShopMan]

Are there any of you guys in or around the Grand Rapids, Michigan area who have had implants and can recommend a good Dr. I am relatively ok with my present uro but I may want a second opinion. This is all preliminary. I am having some problems with injections and my present uro says I am a candidate for a implant. I have many questions. lol
Charlie

[stringerbell]

If you are looking out of town, the "best" or at least highest volume and most well known are Kramer, Eid, and Perito. They are probably the highest tier, of course who knows if this means the best, just the most famous and probably highest volume. After that, you'll find a number of terrific surgeons, probably a few close to you. I think with a short plane ride, you could consider shopping around, but that comes with added cost and inconvenience, so up to you. I'm reading a lot of good things about Morey in Texas also.

[jryancey44]

All I can add is how important it is to get a surgeon that does at least 75 or more a year. My surgeon at Duke Hospital told me that is less than 1%. He also told me he does 125 a year and learns something new every time. Even if you have to fly somewhere it is money well spent in my opinion. This is a specialty I did not go with my regular ur who has been a friend and has operated on me twice for bladder. I can highly recommend my Dr at Duke Aaron Lentz I am well pleased with the Titian he implanted in me last December, I lost no length and gained 20%+ in girth . If you want to talk let me know I talk to guys and their wives or girlfriends about this all the time. I am located in Raleigh NC. My e-mail is jim27601@yahoo.com if you want my number just request it,

Jim

[KMeister]

Shopman, I believe there is a highly respected group of urologist in Michigan here:

http://www.michiganurology.com/

Are you covered by insurance or paying out of pocket? If you don't have insurance and money is no object you can fly to one of the top notched doctors recommended by my brothers on this website and pay about 20 grand. If you have insurance, you may be limited to someone in your network nearby.

[ShopMan]

Shopman, I believe there is a highly respected group of urologist in Michigan here:

http://www.michiganurology.com/

Are you covered by insurance or paying out of pocket? If you don't have insurance and money is no object you can fly to one of the top notched doctors recommended by my brothers on this website and pay about 20 grand. If you have insurance, you may be limited to someone in your network nearby.

Thanks for your reply. I took a look at their web site. They are all on the eastern side of the state however that may be ok. But, they don't list my insurance as one they work with. Others have suggested out of state and my insurance (Medicare Priority) will only cover within Michigan as far as I know.

Like I stated, this is all preliminary. I have to meet with my uro regarding my injections to see what he says. If it's time to consider sergery then I will make a decision. We have only chatted briefely about a implant and he gave me the impression that they have done many but I don't know how many many is to them.

Your imput is valuable to me so you will be hearing from me again.

Charlie

[Alabama2015]

I did a substantial amount of research and decided there was not a good option in Colorado. Since the outcome of the procedure was so important to me I wanted to make sure I was with the best surgeon I could find. I was willing to travel and spend the extra money for the piece of mind that I was in good hands. I decided on Dr. Andrew Kramer in Baltimore (he has had lots of good reviews here) and am glad I did. He does a couple hundred or more of these a year.

First he was very responsive to my pre op questions. He got back to me with emails (he was willing to talk on the phone also) sometimes within hours but at least within a day. He gave me complete answers and everything he told me has happened so far. The surgery went well and I returned to Colorado two days after surgery without any problem. What I saw and see so far I like.

What I think is measurably different from other accounts I have read on here is my recovery time. In other accounts the recovery time to begging inflating and deflating seems to be around 6 weeks. I was pumping a little short of three weeks without any trouble and have been pumping twice daily for the last week. (I have to say that--especially the deflation was a little trickier that I thought it would be but is getting easier). His website says sex is possible within 4 weeks,which I was skeptical of. But I am now coming up on 4 weeks and think it is possible I will be ready for sex.

I lost a little length and some girth but he says that will come back over the next few months (I believe him because everything else he has told me has happened). He is very tuned in to that issue.

His after op communication has continued to be excellent and he is genuinely interested in how I (and I assume others) are progressing. He is very timely in answering my emailed questions and even gave me his cell phone number.

I don't know if I am unusual in my recovery time (another poster in another line said basically the same thing) but for me it has been pretty easy.

It has been almost 4 weeks since my surgery and things are going really well. I really without hesitation recommend Dr. Kramer. I recommend being really open to traveling to get the surgery done whether it is Dr. Kramer or one of the other Dr.s that are high volume well know surgeons. Th outcome is just too important to save a few dollars on travel.

With respect to the insurance issue it was covered by medicare. I don't know what, if any out of pocket expenses for the surgery I will have. You are 75 so probably covered and don't have to worry about the $20,000 cost...or at least most of it.

[billylee]

I have to say that all I have read here about Kramer has been outstanding, especially his listening, involvement (not just surgery), communication, etc. He seems to be far beyond just skill and numbers which I suggest is priority.

I have Medicare and BC-BS supplement, I doubt all my bills have been complete, but the first EOP from UT-Southwestern Medical showed $41K. Of this total I was first showed a balance owed of around $4K. I called and told I was not to owe anything and lady I spoke with right away replied that bill did not look right and I would receive another. (Somehow I suspect if I had not asked and paid I would not have gotten refund....funny how those things happen). Checking online account, it appears I may still get billed for a couple hundred and although worth it, I might argue just to see what they say. I do not remember what MC and/or BCBS actually paid but as I remember below $10k. Bottom line, MC pays and if they pay then your sup will follow for their part. I think key is having the proper recommendation by urologist.
b

[ShopMan]

Thanks so much you two. I am very reassured by this that I can find a good surgeon wether it be Dr. Kramer or some other with a good track record. Thanks much.

Charlie