Doctor experience

[Sardonicus]

So Friday I had my first gastro and colo cameras, and although I was sweating the procedure and the results, there was no major outcome, and a minor removal was the only additional procedure done. This was at one of the top 3 major hospitals here.

This doc appeared to be competent, but his manners in this and the prior visit could only be described as arrogant - cutting me off when asking questions, dismissing my concerns, turning to his PC as I was speaking, and in general displaying an uncaring attitude. But efficient. And I wanted this done quickly.

Yesterday however, I was in some minor pain, and became distended, so went back to the doc to tell him so.

So on this visit he turned what was originally going to be him calling with the remaining results, into another $80 visit, and about $300 dollars worth of medicine (which didn't work) that equate to about a month's supply. All this for checking the plumbing and cleaning the pipes. He also said it was ok to eat or drink anything I wanted, the day after the operation. Which I did.

I spent all of last night in further pain and discomfort and could not sleep. I called his answering service today, they say he cannot be contacted on Sundays, go to A&E. This I would do gauging the severity at the time, which has subsided somewhat. But what remains strikes me as odd that there should be this feeling after such a routine procedure. Unless any of you you have heard otherwise.

That's one question, the other is about lodging a complaint - to the hospital, to the clinic that referred me to him, and maybe even to where he's accredited. Mrs. Sardie was with me in one of the visits and was appalled by his attitude, and when checking the internet on how things are done in her country, concluded that some of it bordered on chargeable offenses, to dismiss and belittle a patient's concerns and to not take more effective and caring action.

But this is Singapore, and things like this could backfire, right or wrong. I do want to bring this to the hospital's attention, but don't want to end up broke from a lawsuit.

Any suggestions, war stories?

[Kooky]

Sorry to hear you are feeling so lousy, Sardy. Firstly, were you awake when they did it? I was with a sigmoidoscopy and I can tell you I never want pain like that again - and I've had some scary stuff done over the years but if you had a colonoscopy I'm not sure what they do for that. Reason I am asking - I've had some ops (e.g., hysterectomy) where they blow up your abdomen to have more room to do stuff and next day you do have terrible trapped wind - I had such a painful shoulder! They gave me and the other women peppermint tea and told us to have a good fart. Just a thought...

Have to say, I think complaining about a doctor ANYWHERE could be fruitless; they tend to close ranks. My worst hospital experiences have been with private doctors in the UK, and in one case I really had cause for complaint but there was no way he was going to admit responsibility. In the other I really had to insist the doc popped into the private hospital on the way from his NHS hospital even though his nurses seemed afraid to ask him (I'd just arrived in an emergency ambulance gushing blood, I thought he owed me that).

I honestly think, let your feelings be known, but concentrate on getting better.

[Satellite]

I think if he did something wrong, you can complain and action will be taken.

There was once I was at an A&E for non-stop vomiting (which I normally get after high fever so know what works and what doesn't) . The doctor who attended to me kept asking me questions but I was too weak to answer so my mother answered on my behalf and the doctor was quite arrogant and didn't want anything to do with her.

Anyway, he just wanted to give me some medicines and sent me back and we told him to put me on drips and under the observantion ward till it stops.. he didn't want to despite my previous record of nothing ever working except that. So my mother told him that we are going to lodge a complaint against him and that set him straight.

You could write either to the hospital or I think there is the medical society (or something to that effect that handles these cases) If not you could write to CASE and I'm sure they would refer you to the appropriate body.

[Sardonicus]

Thanks for the responses so far.

No Kooky, I was not awake, and I'm to much of a wuss to do something like that and not be sedated. But the needle in the wrist thing, which I hate as I prefer the arm, was more painful than usual, and even more so after I awoke and they put in the contrast for the CT.

I'm feeling a little better, thank you, but I have nothing to gauge this by - are you supposed to not feel anything afterwards, or is distention and is pain a normal side effect?

According to the Wiki definition of a sigmoidoscopy vs. a colonoscopy, the latter I had, and I didn't even know I had a sigmoid (!) there is this interesteing little entry:

"Although generally considered quite safe, sigmoidoscopy does carry the very rare possibility of tearing of the intestinal wall by the instrument, which would require immediate major surgery to repair the tear; in addition, removal of a polyp may sometimes lead to localized bleeding which is resistant to cauterization by the instrument and must be stopped by surgical intervention."

So I'm back to square one - is the pain from that or normal - I guess I'll find out when I try calling him and he refused to take my call so that I can take another $80 trip downtown. If that's before I've had my coffee there's a good chance anything he says is going to set me off.

[Kooky]

It certainly does sound like his after-care is lacking. When I've had procedures done in Singapore, the doctors or their nurses have called me up to check on me. Dr Raj (orthopaedics) certainly does that; hell, even Dr Ang the dentist does.

If you are feeling bad, even if it's normal, he should be putting your mind at rest. If he gets shitty, remind him that his insurance company would prefer he deals with you now than in an emergency situation.

[Sardonicus]

The latest. Still have pain following the scopes and minor surgical removal. Feels like what I think appendicitis might feel like. Finally got ahold of the doc, of course this meant a visit and anothetr $80 for him to spend maybe 10 minutes answering my questions.

Before they were answered he had already whipped out the form for the next test to take (it's a DNA test and requires special permission, apparently because the info can be misused).

After a few glares and sending him the vibe that I've taken enough of his attitude, I stop him from where he is going and ask if the pain is normal, and insist on a straight answer. He directs me to the table, then pokes around. Says the way to know is another CT. So I do it (since it didn't require contrast).

I also told him I didn't need the $300 worth of medicine that didn't work, and that I wanted a refund. He squirmed a but before I got him to do so for that which wasn't opened.

I'm not a betting man but if I were I'd say something went wrong with the 'minor surgical procedure'.

[Spike]

I'd be interested to know who the doctor was. I was due to have a colonoscopy in January with a certain "Professor"no less. I had the same kind of attitude and he was running two consulting rooms at the same time in a conveyor belt type of behaviour. A doctor friend of mind heard about me going to him and warned me to cancel the appointment. Apparently this so called eminent professor screwed up a colonoscopy with a VIP patient and caused her internal injuries. He operated on her to repair the damage and did even more damage to the point where she needed a complete colostomy. A colonoscopy is meant to be a routine exmination but is not without risk.

[Sardonicus]

You now have me very very scared. I have pain where I did not before, and it seems to be in the area he removed a polyp. I had the CT today because of this.

This guys is very busy, it fits his profile. When I googled him he seems to have a good standing in his relative community, but those kinds of profiles have a way of making anyone look good. I won't mention name in public as I know of a friend who got himself in an anti-defamation suit over something he posted here on the internet, but if you PM me I will say.

I can also recommend a good GI doc who Mrs. S went to but is not on my useless insurance company list, so I couldn't go to him myself unless I wanted to pay out of pocket. But I have been actually considering it...

[Kooky]

Sounds like time for a second opinion, Sardy, and bugger the cost.

If you had some tissue removed I expect you to be sore, but it's best to know for sure what's going on.

[Pinklepurr]

I vote for the second opinion too if you are still having pain.

Mr PP had colonoscopy and polyps removed in Feb this year, and I know it is not the same thing that you had but he only had very mild pain afterwards and it was all gone within the week and he has had nothing since. We also got follow up calls from the hospital to see how he was going.

Good luck and just remember it does no harm to get a second opinion at all.

[Addadude]

I'd be interested to know who the doctor was. I was due to have a colonoscopy in January with a certain "Professor"no less. I had the same kind of attitude and he was running two consulting rooms at the same time in a conveyor belt type of behaviour. A doctor friend of mind heard about me going to him and warned me to cancel the appointment. Apparently this so called eminent professor screwed up a colonoscopy with a VIP patient and caused her internal injuries. He operated on her to repair the damage and did even more damage to the point where she needed a complete colostomy. A colonoscopy is meant to be a routine exmination but is not without risk.

Oh my - is that the VIP who is also a medical professional, writes regularly for the Sunday Times and happens to be the daughter of someone even more vitally important?

[Sardonicus]

Thanks PP, it sounds much the same as Mr. PP, and I am getting a second opinion tomorrow.

Went to the office to pick up yesterday's test results, he tried to pin me down to doing this and that and was a bit surprised wen I said I wanted to understand it better before going ahead with anything, which he kept referring to as 'procrastinating' and 'refusing treatment'. Went to my clinic to get a referral for another doc.

BTW my latest test show an infection requiring IV antibiotics, he says was not due to the 'scopy or the surgery. Right, so what then?

I vote for the second opinion too if you are still having pain.

Mr PP had colonoscopy and polyps removed in Feb this year, and I know it is not the same thing that you had but he only had very mild pain afterwards and it was all gone within the week and he has had nothing since. We also got follow up calls from the hospital to see how he was going.

Good luck and just remember it does no harm to get a second opinion at all.

[Spike]

I'd be interested to know who the doctor was. I was due to have a colonoscopy in January with a certain "Professor"no less. I had the same kind of attitude and he was running two consulting rooms at the same time in a conveyor belt type of behaviour. A doctor friend of mind heard about me going to him and warned me to cancel the appointment. Apparently this so called eminent professor screwed up a colonoscopy with a VIP patient and caused her internal injuries. He operated on her to repair the damage and did even more damage to the point where she needed a complete colostomy. A colonoscopy is meant to be a routine exmination but is not without risk.

Oh my - is that the VIP who is also a medical professional, writes regularly for the Sunday Times and happens to be the daughter of someone even more vitally important?

Possibly.

[Sardonicus]

Update (I know this is getting boring) - changed docs, got a much better one, my condition can probably be cured with antibiotics, albeit nauseating ones, and no IVs. Will know more after 5 days. Thanks all for the input.

addadude - any article on that VIP's misadventure? Thanks to you and Spike for that one.

[Addadude]

If it's the VIP I'm thinking of, she mentioned it herself in one of the articles she wrote in the Sunday Times. She didn't mention her doc's name though. This is going back a couple of months and you might be able to get an online version of the archived article. I can't imagine the doc in question has much of a career left though...

[Tas]

Sardonicus - no support here, but I'm really pleased you've found a new doctor. People usually know is their gut when something aint right, it's just getting the confidence to be firm in that belief in the face of people who are telling you they know better. You've stuck to your guns and hopefully now getting better treatment.

As for the original doc, if it is the same guy, hope his reputation preceeds him enough to prevent other people getting poor treatment. If you are now confident you are getting the right care, firmly believe you should write a clear letter of complaint detailing your specific greivances and send it to the centre who recommended him and to medical board. It may not get anywhere this time (ie closing rank). However if something happens in the future to someone else, which results in an investigation there will be a paper trail or history that may help someone else in a complaint.

[Sardonicus]

Thanks Tas. Based on a few conversations, it seems he is not the same guy. This one apparently is known in the medical community as very capable, but has a reputation for horrible bedside manners, to the point of consistency, and I've heard this from multiple sources.

I intend to make my experiences known, to the clinic who recommend him, the hospital, and to him directly. Soon as I'm showing progress to be on the mend.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Sardy, I hope you recover soon and that the antibiotics do the trick. This is a very disturbing story and I'm glad you shared it.

[Pinklepurr]

I hope your recovery is swift and you can put all of this down to a bad experience. Most important thing is that you get better and recover well.

[Burbage]

This forum is like an old people's home. Is there anyone who isn't injured or crippled?

[baloo]

Just wait until your weekend Tiger Woods Wii marathon.

[Burbage]

Just wait until your weekend Tiger Woods Wii marathon.

I just hope it doesn't wreck my real golf.

[Morrolan]

This forum is like an old people's home. Is there anyone who isn't injured or crippled?

with the progression of time maybe we should rename the forum to Singeriatrics...



(ow, my knees!)