Defective device what would you do?
Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 12:22 pm
Ok brief history. I had tried for a few years to get a implant, covid hit and that's what drew it out. My original Dr ( around April 2022 ) told me the hospital wasn't allowing any elective surgeries until maybe September 2023 at earliest if then due to the backlog from covid. So I look for another Dr. Found my current one in July or August 2022. They have to run tests, then want me to have a DVIU done because I have a history of strictures and had one currently which they wanted fixed first before the implant surgery.
They end up drawing out the process for the DVIU until middle of December 2022 because they were waiting on insurance approval even after being told several times my insurance does not require pre approval for any surgery and I was hoping to get both surgeries done before the end of the year because I would have my deductable met by then but again the DVIU was drawn out until middle of December. That's done and I was told they would contact me shortly to set up for the implant surgery and get a date. It's drawn out, end of January I ask what's the holdup?
They tell me waiting on insurance approval, again with this BS. I have to tell them again that we have already discussed this and that my insurance does not require it. Drawn out again, finally get blood work and some other labs done and we are good to go in April. Get the implant and 2 and a half weeks after I know something aint right. My appt right at 3 weeks, Dr confirms yes it's not right but wants second Dr to look, ok no problem since that appt is the day after. See him, he wants a CT scan to make sure reservoir is empty and see if it might be some other issue ( uhh pump will pump once then go flat and nothing else, it's definitely a reservoir issue and you already know you gotta open me back up to fix or replace it in any case ) so have to wait a week for CT scan, then wait another week for results ( I'm now almost at 6 weeks post surgery and should be using it ) at follow up Dr says yeah we gotta replace it as CT shows reservoir is totally empty and it's unknown if the reservoir or the tubes failed.
⁰Tells me we can stick with the AMS or go with the Coloplast, I say let's stick with AMS since it would pretty much be direct replacement and should be easier to do and easier recovery. He said they'll try to get me in and done within the next month but that they are backed up with these surgeries till end of August ( so kinda telling me it could be within a month or might be 3 or more months before they can do it.) Plus at checkout it seems the surgery center that did the DVIU has a note in my records wanting full payment before anything else can be done. ( 1200 dollars but it's their issue as I was making payments at the office and they were applying them to wrong item, they applied them to the office visits and not the surgery center as I thought and I couldn't pay online as the surgery center had my date of birth wrong, that's why I was making payments at the office ) so basically when I should be using it, I have to wait maybe up to 4 weeks for surgery or maybe over 3 months before I have it, then I have to start the 6 week before using it all over again making it anywhere from 10 to 18+ weeks before it's fixed and can use it. Wife is pissed and wants to sue ( at least for loss of husbandly duties ), and doesn't think we should have to pay anything out of pocket for this surgery ( I say we kinda have to pay for some of the surgery but definitely not for the device ).
So question is what to do? Also when I have the surgery what's the earliest you can start to cycle ( my Dr was going to wait till the 2 week checkup which was at 3 weeks actually ), since I have to go through this all over and definitely don't have use of my member and won't for a total of about 16 weeks at earliest if things go smoothly longer if not. I want to start at earliest and safest time since I will have list so much time over this. Now I don't fault my Dr as he tested it before, and after surgery and it was working as expected, I can't fault him for a device that fails about 2 weeks after it's implanted. What I dislike is their surgery center putting a hold on him being able to do anything until their bill is paid in full which hasn't been because of their own fault. Sorry for the long rant but as you can expect it's no fun when you're supposed to be using it and you might have to wait up to another 3 months or more before you can at the earliest.
They end up drawing out the process for the DVIU until middle of December 2022 because they were waiting on insurance approval even after being told several times my insurance does not require pre approval for any surgery and I was hoping to get both surgeries done before the end of the year because I would have my deductable met by then but again the DVIU was drawn out until middle of December. That's done and I was told they would contact me shortly to set up for the implant surgery and get a date. It's drawn out, end of January I ask what's the holdup?
They tell me waiting on insurance approval, again with this BS. I have to tell them again that we have already discussed this and that my insurance does not require it. Drawn out again, finally get blood work and some other labs done and we are good to go in April. Get the implant and 2 and a half weeks after I know something aint right. My appt right at 3 weeks, Dr confirms yes it's not right but wants second Dr to look, ok no problem since that appt is the day after. See him, he wants a CT scan to make sure reservoir is empty and see if it might be some other issue ( uhh pump will pump once then go flat and nothing else, it's definitely a reservoir issue and you already know you gotta open me back up to fix or replace it in any case ) so have to wait a week for CT scan, then wait another week for results ( I'm now almost at 6 weeks post surgery and should be using it ) at follow up Dr says yeah we gotta replace it as CT shows reservoir is totally empty and it's unknown if the reservoir or the tubes failed.
⁰Tells me we can stick with the AMS or go with the Coloplast, I say let's stick with AMS since it would pretty much be direct replacement and should be easier to do and easier recovery. He said they'll try to get me in and done within the next month but that they are backed up with these surgeries till end of August ( so kinda telling me it could be within a month or might be 3 or more months before they can do it.) Plus at checkout it seems the surgery center that did the DVIU has a note in my records wanting full payment before anything else can be done. ( 1200 dollars but it's their issue as I was making payments at the office and they were applying them to wrong item, they applied them to the office visits and not the surgery center as I thought and I couldn't pay online as the surgery center had my date of birth wrong, that's why I was making payments at the office ) so basically when I should be using it, I have to wait maybe up to 4 weeks for surgery or maybe over 3 months before I have it, then I have to start the 6 week before using it all over again making it anywhere from 10 to 18+ weeks before it's fixed and can use it. Wife is pissed and wants to sue ( at least for loss of husbandly duties ), and doesn't think we should have to pay anything out of pocket for this surgery ( I say we kinda have to pay for some of the surgery but definitely not for the device ).
So question is what to do? Also when I have the surgery what's the earliest you can start to cycle ( my Dr was going to wait till the 2 week checkup which was at 3 weeks actually ), since I have to go through this all over and definitely don't have use of my member and won't for a total of about 16 weeks at earliest if things go smoothly longer if not. I want to start at earliest and safest time since I will have list so much time over this. Now I don't fault my Dr as he tested it before, and after surgery and it was working as expected, I can't fault him for a device that fails about 2 weeks after it's implanted. What I dislike is their surgery center putting a hold on him being able to do anything until their bill is paid in full which hasn't been because of their own fault. Sorry for the long rant but as you can expect it's no fun when you're supposed to be using it and you might have to wait up to another 3 months or more before you can at the earliest.
