Considering focal laser ablation and have questions

I had a foot X-Ray in Switzerland after breaking a metatarsil  the radiologist placed a lead apron over my pelvic area saying 'I don't want to damage your manhood' PAE must leave it completely exposed.

I though PAE used MRI also

Prostate artery embolization uses a flouroscope 

Check out Dr Feller at Desert Imaging Palm Springs

Bernadette Greenwood at Desert Medical Imaging is a good contact for FLA on West Coast

Change jobs, First I have never heard of Feller in the West. Very glad to hear that. We need more providers. 

Yes I went to see Sterling in Florida when I was researching the doctors for my procedure that I would select. I flew to Florida met with him and his assistant Lillian for 40 minutes. The four of us were in a very bad little office and did not go through the clinic. He as sense built a new building and moved his practice. He charged me $275 for the short meeting and at first they wanted cash but I insisted on my credit card. It took me longer to rent a car and drive from the airport than it did to have the meeting!! You live and learn.

During our meeting he said he had done a few thousands of the FLA procedures for prostate cancer and over 100 had been done by him for BPH only. With that statement I said "surely you can provide me with 5 people as references" to talk to about FLA for BPH? They said certainly they could but I never got the references. She kept telling me it was hard to get people to agree to talk to anyone. I tried up to two times a week for four months to get those promised references and they stopped taking my calls.

I know it seemed like I was hassling them but I was very polite and even ask to speak with the doctor again to no avail. I sent the Doctor a email and he replied that he had instructed Lillian to provide me 5 names and numbers. She would not and stopped taking my calls. She did say she had and would provide cancer patients that had the FLA procedure but I wanted BPH patients as that was the reason I was interested in FLA. She instructed the other people working there in the office to not give out information about this. When I asked the other employees about FLA for BPH they told me they did not handle any of that work and it was just Lillian and the doctor. I finally gave up. I did discover that this doctor does not use conscious sedation but instead uses a pain shot and a valium. That is a big difference. Also sometimes he said he does not use a catheter and this makes no sense at all. Any one of us who have had this procedure will tell you that you will need a catheter for about a week. So looking back I really got lucky and it became easy for me to take hm off my list. I also went to Dr. Busche in Tennessee but he did not do FLA. He is the best at reading MRI's for cancer. He said I did not have PCa.

Dr. K did not charge me when I sent him my MRI and had a long conversation over the phone. I then went with my wife to visit him the same as I did with Sterling and he visited just about an hour with us and said he had another client to meet with and if we would wait he would continue visiting with us. After that patient was gone, he instructed his assistance Samantha, to go ahead and close the office and go home and he continued with us for another hour and a half or so. He reviewed the MRI and showed me the pinched area in my urethra and he showed me the large median lobe pushing into my bladder causing a little mountain with a valley that was retaining urine. He showed me where he would remove tissue and how that mountain would go away. 

After I did the procedure he showed me the mountain was gone and no more little valley holding urine after the swelling went down. Again I don't know about Feller but I am very pleased to hear we have another doctor to speak with. My recommendation would be to call and talk to them all. Each one. You will learn different things from each and you will get a feel for the doctor through your discussions.

I know that If you upload your MRI to Dr. Karamanian he will tell you what he sees without you even going there and at no cost to you. Don't know about the others but calling them with questions, you will learn a lot.

Good luck.

 

John,

Bernadette Greenwood was supposedly involved or did develop the method to use a laser through the rectum to work on the prostate. I was given her name by a member on here after my problems with my procedure. So it is another resource for people to check out.

Hello Changejobs. Good luck getting any of the other Docs to talk to you, unless you are there and apparently with cash in hand. I emailed Dr Sperling 2 weeks ago, and asked what their price was for FLA for BPH. I explained that I had already had the procedure with Dr K, but was attempting to appeal my insurance companies reimbursement of paying $3,200 out of a $21,000 bill (that they approved prior to the procedure) . Basically all I was asking for was a comparable price so I could show the insurance that Dr Ks charge is not excessive, which is what their claim is based upon.

I even thru in that hopefully if some of us can start forcing insurance companies to cover it, the FLA docs will have more customers, and WAY more men will be helped.

But alas my email, did not even get a simple reply of sorry cant do that. Just NO reply at all.

So now when I have my level 2 appeal with BCBST on Thursday, I have very little rebuttal to their statement that Dr Ks charges are excessive.

Stick with Dr K, he NEVER disrespects a patient, or treats them like he can not be bothered. He is always there when you need him.,

Good luck in your search

 

Thanks I will check her out. The other guy looked very well educated. I don't think he specializes in Prostates like this Greenwood doctor but the IR's do everything. Glad you found her and good luck. keep us up to date. 

Joe, call Donnie Sartin Monday early and I think he can tell you the prices that each of the three or four Doctors charge. I have been told that Sperling is now $25 can and Walser raised his prices but Donnie can address that. Motoman  man listed two others doctors on the west coast and being on the west coast they are also probably higher than your price. It is worth a try. Maybe you can give them the facts verbally in your appeal and tell them you will followup with written information if the require it. 

Good luck.