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Does anyone have any experience with Dr Ortiz of UVA?

My Titan failed on me after 4.5 years. It was life changing when it worked but not it doesn’t. I have been saving money and I am switching insurances soon because AETNA does not cover IPP surgery even if it a revision.

My question is should I go with Dr Ortiz or try traveling and go to Dr Hakky in Atlanta. Ortiz is in my area and is listed as Boston Scientific Center of excellence. Ortiz is less than an hour away while Hakky is about an 8 hour drive. Not sure what the flight time would be.

I have an upcoming appt with Ortiz and haven’t reached out to Hakky yet.

Should I travel to Hakky or take comfort that Dr Ortiz is around the corner if something were to come up?

Any insights or advice would be appreciated!

My Titan had failed last year, it mentally put me on a mission.. went to my original surgeon but he was busy and a revision was going to be down the road. I found some others in my area and started the research, all were listed on their respective Centers of Excellence, looked for reviews, etc.. then made appointment and went to see another surgeon. He scheduled me in for the end of June and we still had another conversation, I was comfortable then. So from failure of the Titan to the new AMS I was only down for 3 months. Mine have been local, mainly for my concerns of issues after the surgery, I have not heard of Ortiz,but I have heard of UVA and they are an excellent university and hospital.

If that was me, I'd stay close to home. An eight-hour drive after surgery sounds like uncomfortable painful ride.

If faced with the situation and choices you listed I would fly to Hakky.

I want the highest volume guy possible for a revision.

Thanks for the input guys. I have a consultation with Dr Ortiz and of UVA on May 15th. I am struggling with questions I need to ask him to assure me he is gonna take care of my one and only dick..

The questions I have come up with for the doc so far are as follows.

1. Are you “high volume?”
2. You have a center of excellence from Boston Scientific, does this mean you are not comfortable with the Coloplast?
3. How many revisions have you done?
4. What is your infection rate? For revisions?

If the doc can answer these questions and the answers seem legit, honest, and fair I will go with him, if not Dr Hakky. My dick my choice ha.

Is there any other questions that you all would ask the doc in my situation?

You could always do the travel and stay several days in a hotel until travel is more comfortable.

I would ask if he would leave the reservoir in place, and just replace the cylinder/pump assembly.

Are you going back with a Titan or are you going with something else?

My career was in the sales, marketing and customer support of surgical devices, including implantable devices like hips and knees. Full disclosure: I don’t have professional experience with penile implants, but I am 4 weeks post op IPP surgery.

If logistically and financially possible, I would ALWAYS choose a surgeon who does a higher volume of implants, whether going for your first, or a revision. Revisions can be more challenging to do than a primary, and a highly experienced surgeon gives you a better chance of a great outcome.

In your situation, an eight hour drive should be manageable if you have someone to drive. ( more manageable than airports, security and riding in a cramped aircraft). Get a hotel or Air BnB for the first three days post op so you’re near your surgeon and hospital in the critical first days after surgery. Then, get in the car and recline with lots of ice, and stop after 4 hours and rest at a hotel, then do four more hours the next day. I think driving straight through 8 hours would be tough, both on you, and your driver!

Friday. Here is one way to look at that choice. Are you positive that your original dr did not make an error? I've seen IPP surgeries where the dr pinches off the tubing with forceps while he is working. I've often wondered how that affects the tubing. Maybe ask him is he uses a pre assembled IPP. Might be a small clue there.

I think my dr uses pre assembled kits inorder to try to keep failures down. But that does limit where your pump can hang depending on your proximal measurement.

If you're reasonably sure that he didn't influence the failure then use him. But...its now your $$$ on the line now.